Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network, July 2007

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Global Volcanism Program (http://www.volcano.si.edu/)
Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network
Volume 32, Number 7, July 2007
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Manda Hararo (Ethiopia) First historical eruption-lava flows/SO2 plume
from rift fissure-August 2007
Etna (Italy) Ash emissions started 15 August and built a small cinder
cone on SEC's E flank
Barren Island (India) Aviation reports and thermal hot spots suggest
eruptions into September 2007
Kavachi (Solomon Islands) Vigorous upwelling, discolored water, and
minor explosions in April 2007
Tinakula (Santa Cruz Islands) Thermal anomalies suggest eruption, but
field observations absent
Brothers (New Zealand) 2007 cruise found submarine volcano in repose
with active hydrothermal plumes
Poas (Costa Rica) Additional information on eruption of 25-26 September 2006
Concepcion (Nicaragua) Small eruptions with ashfall July-November 2005
and September 2006-July 2007
Santa Ana (El Salvador) Two days visiting the crater lake and
fumaroles during mid 2007
Uzon (Kamchatka Peninsula) Valley of Geysers struck by large
destructive landslide and related flood


Editors: Rick Wunderman, Edward Venzke, and Sally Kuhn Sennert
Volunteer Staff: Robert Andrews, Hugh Replogle, Michael Young, Paul
Berger, Veronica Bemis, Jacquelyn Gluck,
Stephen Bentley, Antonia Bookbinder, and Jeremy Bookbinder


Manda Hararo
Ethiopia
12.17°N, 40.82°E; summit elev. 600+ m
All times are local (= UTC + 3 hours)

On 13 August at 1315 a large sulfur-dioxide (SO2) cloud was detected
over Ethiopia and Sudan by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on
NASA's Aura satellite. This was presumed to be the result of a
volcanic eruption in western Afar, Ethiopia, though the source was
then unclear. Preliminary analysis indicated that the cloud contained
~8,000 tons of SO2, although a more precise estimate depends on the
altitude of the cloud, which was not known.

MODIS satellite imagery, interpreted at the University of Hawaii,
showed the presence of a cluster of hot-spots centered at 12.25ºN,
40.65ºE late on 12 August, presumably corresponding to an active lava
flow. The eruption site appears to lie within the Manda Hararo
volcanic complex around 40 km SSE of Dabbahu volcano, which had its
first historical eruption in September 2005. The massive 105-km-long,
20-30 km-wide Manda Hararo complex consists of basaltic shield
volcanoes cut by regional fissures with no previously recorded
historical eruptions. It is the southernmost axial range of the
western Afar region. OMI data on 14 August showed continuing SO2
emissions, although by that day the extent of the MODIS thermal
anomaly had diminished.

Local residents reported that there had been no precursory activity of
any kind during the days preceding the eruptions. The first sign of
activity was noted on 12 August when a sudden heavy cracking sound was
heard in the affected area. The sound was heard first in the N part
and propagated continuously toward the S. Only a small ground tremor
was felt at that time. At about 1730 on 13 August, "fire" started to
be seen from the N in the direction of Gommoyta and continued to the
N, lighting up the entire area. A curtain of "fire and smoke" rose
high into the sky in the area and this activity continued with
variable intensity until it subsided on the morning of 16 August. The
frightened local inhabitants evacuated the area and therefore did not
observe effusion of the lava flows. So far no damage to life or
property has been reported.

A field team was able to investigate the area of new eruptions in the
Manda Hararo region on 20 August (figure 1). Karbahi is the name given
to the rift's axial segment/graben, a region with numerous active
normal faults, fissures, and recent basalt flows, bounded by large
normal faults. Prominent features in the Karbahi graben area include
Gommoyta and Diyyilu felsic volcanoes, which are found immediately to
the N of this locality.

Figure 1. Location of the Manda Hararo fissure eruption (round dot).
Other features shown include the Gabho and Dabbahu volcanoes, and the
city of Semera. Courtesy of Gezahegn Yirgu, Addis Ababa University.

Aerial observations showed isolated spots where intense emission of
gas (with distinct smell of sulfur dioxide) was taking place. In few
places, white and yellowish deposits of sulfur were visible. Long,
discontinuous fissures, arranged en echelon, from which lavas had
flowed on either side, predominantly traveling W to the graben floor
(figure 2). Numerous small spatter and scoria cones were aligned on
the fissures. Reddish glow and rare flames were also observed on top
of some of the tiny craters of these cones. Fault scarps with fresh
breaks and rock falls were also visible from the air, probably showing
evidence of recent movement. A narrow graben-like collapse structure
oblique to one of the fissures was also observed. The segment affected
by tectonic and volcanic activity was estimated (with the help of a
helicopter pilot) to measure 5-7 km long and 1 km wide.

Figure 2. Steam rises from new fissures that fed lava flows at Manda
Hararo, as seen on 20 August 2007. Courtesy of Gezahegn Yirgu, Addis
Ababa University.

Ground investigations found basalt lava flows and steam emissions
ongoing on 20 August. While walking on top of the lavas, scientists
felt immense heat emanating from the flow surface. Each fissure was
covered by a continuous row of small and closely spaced spatter and
scoria cones. Many of the cones themselves had tiny pits from which
both heat and gas escaped. The pits could not be entered due to the
heat and high noxious gas concentrations. As seen from the air, a
reddish glow and flames were seen at some distant cones. One fissure
with its row of cones is oriented about N7°W to N10°W.

The observed aa and pahoehoe flows were relatively viscous and did not
travel beyond a few hundred meters from their fissure vents (figure
3). The overall thickness of the flows was variable and reached
several meters in places. Lava channels and tubes were abundant. The
spatter ramparts and scoria cones varied in height from 2 to 10 m.
Spatter and scoria fragments varied from coarse lapilli to bombs. The
new lava was moderately porphyritic with small and sparse plagioclase
phenocrysts. Field observations found that the older lavas at the site
exhibited the same features. Representative lava samples were
collected.

Figure 3. A closer view of the August 2007 lava at Manda Hararo. The
dark-colored basaltic flows display aa and pahoehoe textures. Courtesy
of Gezahegn Yirgu, Addis Ababa University.

Geologic Summary. The southernmost axial range of western Afar, the
Manda Hararo complex is located in the Kalo plain, SSE of Dabbahu
volcano. The massive complex is 105 km long and 20-30 km wide, and
represents an uplifted segment of a mid-ocean ridge spreading center.
A small basaltic shield volcano is located at the N end of the
complex. An area of abundant fissure-fed lava flows is located to the
S. Two basaltic shield volcanoes, the largest of which is Unda Hararo,
occupy the center of the complex. The dominant part of the complex
lies to the N, where the Gumatmali-Gablaytu fissure system is located.
Voluminous fluid lava flows issued from these NNW-trending fissures,
and solidified lava lakes occupy two large craters. The small Gablaytu
shield volcano forms the SE-most end of the Manda Hararo complex. Lava
flows from Gablaytu and from Manda overlie 8,000-year-old sediments.
Hot springs and fumaroles occur around Daorre lake.

Information Contacts: Gezahegn Yirgu, Atalay Ayele, Shimeles Fisseha,
Tadiwos Chernet, and Ato Kifle Damtew, Department of Earth Sciences,
Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Email:
gezahegnyirgu@xxxxxxxxx); Simon Carn, Joint Center for Earth Systems
Technology (JCET), University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC),
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA (URL:
http://www.volcarno.com/, http://so2.umbc.edu/omi/); Hawai'i Institute
of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) Thermal Alerts System, School of
Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Univ. of Hawai'i, 2525
Correa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA (URL:
http://hotspot.higp.hawaii.edu/).


Etna
Italy
37.734°N, 15.004°E; summit elev. 3,350 m
All times are local (= UTC + 1 hours)

According to Sonia Calvari of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e
Vulcanologia Sezione di Catania (INGV-CT), on 15 August the South-East
Crater (SEC) at the summit of Mount Etna began to produce ash
emissions. They emerged at the depression that cuts the SEC's E flank.
The ash cloud was very diffuse, rising for just a few ten's of meters
above the source, and it was quickly dispersed by the wind.
Reddish-colored ashfall deposits were observed only on the flanks of
the SEC cone.

During the night of 21 August the summit web-camera of INGV-CT
recorded incandescent blocks erupted during the most energetic
emissions. A field survey on 22 August observed few very energetic
events (about 20% of the total), cases where the ejection of hot,
lithic blocks fell on the E flank of the cone. On 24 August,
researchers from INGV on the summit with a thermal camera recorded the
first short Strombolian sequence. Strombolian explosions increased in
intensity and became more common through August, slowly amassing
material to create a cinder cone within the depression on the SEC's E
flank. Etna's emissions continued through August (figure 4) and into
at least early September. Later INGV reports noted a strong eruption
during 4-5 September. Those events will be the subject of a future
Bulletin report.

Figure 4. Cropped images from the INGV-CT webcamera of a night
eruption at Etna at 0300 on 31 August 2007 showing a Strombolian
eruption (left) and a daylight photo five hours later (0800 on 31
August) of the same region (right). The arrow indicates the point of
emission. Courtesy of INGV-CT.

Geologic Summary. Mount Etna, towering above Catania, Sicily's second
largest city, has one of the world's longest documented records of
historical volcanism, dating back to 1500 BC. Historical lava flows of
basaltic composition cover much of the surface of this massive
volcano, whose edifice is the highest and most voluminous in Italy.
The Mongibello stratovolcano, truncated by several small calderas, was
constructed during the late Pleistocene and Holocene over an older
shield volcano. The most prominent morphological feature of Etna is
the Valle del Bove, a 5 x 10 km horseshoe-shaped caldera open to the
E. Two styles of eruptive activity typically occur at Etna. Persistent
explosive eruptions, sometimes with minor lava emissions, take place
from one or more of the three prominent summit craters, the Central
Crater, NE Crater, and SE Crater (the latter formed in 1978). Flank
vents, typically with higher effusion rates, are less frequently
active and originate from fissures!
 that open progressively downward from near the summit (usually
accompanied by Strombolian eruptions at the upper end). Cinder cones
are commonly constructed over the vents of lower-flank lava flows.
Lava flows extend to the foot of the volcano on all sides and have
reached the sea over a broad area on the SE flank.

Information Contact: Sonia Calvari, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e
Vulcanologia Sezione di Catania, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, Italy
(Email: calvari@xxxxxxxxxx; URL: http://www.ct.ingv.it/).


Barren Island
Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean
12.278°N, 93.858°E; summit elev. 354 m

According to news reports of Indian Coast Guard statements, the
eruptive activity that began in late May 2005 (BGVN 30:05) at Barren
Island had diminished by late September 2006 (BGVN 31:09). Since then,
based upon pilot and satellite data, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory
Centre (VAAC) reported multiple ash-and-steam plumes. The plumes
reached an altitude of 1.5 km (drifting WNW) on 19 and 20 October
2006, 3 km (drifting SW and W) on 8 November 2006, an unreported
altitude and direction on 27 November 2006, 3 km (drifting SW) on 8
February 2007, and 2.1 km (drifting S) on 3 March 2007. The Darwin
VAAC had not issued further advisories on Barren Island activity
through August 2007.

A compilation of MODIS thermal anomaly data from the Aqua and Terra
satellites (figure 5) shows that the eruption began on 26 May 2005
(BGVN 31:01) and has continued through at least 1 September 2007. The
level of lava emissions remained high between May 2005 and mid-March
2006. On 17 March 2006 the MODVOLC system identified nine hot pixels
in Aqua MODIS data. After that time detectable lava activity decreased
and became intermittent, though explosive activity may have been
present. More frequent anomalies were detected during April 2006,
October-November 2006, and May 2007.

Figure 5. Daily thermal anomalies at Barren Island from the
MODIS/MODVOLC satellite observations, May 2005 to early September
2007. Vertical scale indicates the daily number of alert pixels
detected n a specific thermal image, generally a reflection of the
extent of hot lava flows. Anomalies are from both the Aqua and Terra
satellites and were accessed for this report in early September 2007.
Courtesy of the HIGP MODIS Thermal Alert System.

Geologic Summary. Barren Island, a possession of India in the Andaman
Sea about 135 km NE of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, is the only
historically active volcano along the N-S-trending volcanic arc
extending between Sumatra and Burma (Myanmar). The 354-m-high island
is the emergent summit of a volcano that rises from a depth of about
2250 m. The small, uninhabited 3-km-wide island contains a roughly
2-km-wide caldera with walls 250-350 m high. The caldera, which is
open to the sea on the W, was created during a major explosive
eruption in the late Pleistocene that produced pyroclastic-flow and
-surge deposits. The morphology of a fresh pyroclastic cone that was
constructed in the center of the caldera has varied during the course
of historical eruptions. Lava flows fill much of the caldera floor and
have reached the sea along the western coast during historical
eruptions.

Information Contacts: HIGP MODIS Thermal Alert System, Hawai'i
Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP), University of Hawaii
and Manoa, 168 East-West Road, Post 602, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA (URL:
http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu/); Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre,
Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory Regional Office, PO Box
40050, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0811, Australia (URL:
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/vaac/).


Kavachi
Solomon Islands, SW Pacific
9.02°S, 157.95°E; summit elev. -20 m
All times are local (= UTC + 11 hours)

A large earthquake (M 8.1) occurred in the Solomon Islands on 2 April
2007, centered about 126 km NW of Kavachi. Following the earthquake,
Corey Howell of The Wilderness Lodge on Gatokae Island received
several reports from residents on Gatokae and Vangunu Islands
describing noises attributed to Kavachi (~35 km WSW of Gatokae). A
confirmed report from Marila Timi of Biche Village (on the S coast of
Gatokae) stated that around the time of the 2 April earthquake,
Kavachi emitted an eruption column visible from her garden above the
village.

On 6 April Howell traveled to Kavachi to observe the volcano. Howell
spent 2.5 hours on location within 200 m of the active vent, and dove
down to within tens of meters of the vent. The volcano exhibited its
usual vigorous upwelling, producing a plume of discolored mud- and
sulfur-laden water several hundred meters wide and at least 3 km in
length downcurrent (figure 6). He measured a temperature of 40°C in
the subsurface plume, which appeared normal as compared with his
previous 30 visits to Kavachi since 1999. The only explosive activity
observed or felt was occasional thudding detonations and sea-surface
percussions, with shockwaves producing spray and billows of ash-laden
water (figures 7 and 8). Kavachi lacked a significant explosive
eruption column or signs of ejected pyroclastic materials, behavior
witnessed on many previous visits. On this visit, Howell found nothing
out of the ordinary following the 2 April earthquake.

Figure 6. Photograph showing a mud-and sulfur-laden plume downcurrent
of Kavachi's upwelling vent on 6 April 2007, forming a discolored area
several hundred meters wide and several kilometers long. Howell noted
that such plumes are frequently seen at Kavachi. Courtesy of Roy Hall
(posted on The Wilderness Lodge website).

Figure 7. Some of the stronger activity observed at Kavachi on 6 April
2007 included very turbulent ash-laden water above the vent, explosive
and percussive noises, and discolored water downcurrent of the vent.
Courtesy of Roy Hall (posted on The Wilderness Lodge website).

Figure 8. Some of the stronger activity observed above the vent at
Kavachi on 6 April 2007 consisted of shockwaves producing dancing
spray, accompanied by staccato bursts of sound. These noises also
reverberated through the bottom of the boat. Courtesy of Roy Hall
(posted on The Wilderness Lodge website).

Geologic Summary. Kavachi, one of the most active submarine volcanoes
in the SW Pacific, occupies an isolated position in the Solomon
Islands far from major aircraft and shipping lanes. Kavachi, sometimes
referred to as Rejo te Kvachi ("Kavachi's Oven"), is located S of
Vangunu Island only about 30 km N of the site of subduction of the
Indo-Australian plate beneath the Pacific plate. The shallow submarine
basaltic-to-andesitic volcano has produced ephemeral islands up to 1
km long many times since its first recorded eruption during 1939.
Residents of the nearby islands of Vanguna and Nggatokae (Gatokae)
reported "fire on the water" prior to 1939, a possible reference to
earlier submarine eruptions. The roughly conical volcano rises from
water depths of 1.1-1.2 km on the N and greater depths to the S.
Frequent shallow submarine and occasional subaerial eruptions produce
phreatomagmatic explosions that eject steam, ash, and incandescent
bombs above the sea surface. On a number!
 of occasions lava flows were observed on the surface of ephemeral islands.

Information Contacts: Corey Howell, The Wilderness Lodge, Peava
Village, Gatokae Island, Western Province, Solomon Islands (URL:
http://thewildernesslodge.org/).


Tinakula
Santa Cruz Islands, SW Pacific
10.38°S, 165.80°E; summit elev. 851 m
All times are local (= UTC + 11 hours)

MODIS thermal anomaly data for Tinakula (table 1) suggests continuing
eruptive activity during the period mid-April through mid-July 2007,
but no validation by field observations has become available. Similar
intermittent anomalies have been detected since mid-February 2006
(BGVN 31:03 and 32:03).

Table 1. MODIS/MODVOLC thermal anomalies at Tinakula for mid-April
through mid-June 2007 (continued from table in BGVN 32:03); note
particularly the anomalies recorded on 11 July 2007. Courtesy of the
University of Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP)
MODIS Hotspot Alert website.

   Date           Time (UTC)    Pixels    Satellite

   12 Apr 2007      1420          1         Aqua
   17 Apr 2007      1140          1         Terra
   19 Apr 2007      1425          1         Aqua
   03 May 2007      1440          2         Aqua
   05 May 2007      1125          1         Terra
   05 May 2007      1425          1         Aqua
   10 May 2007      1145          2         Terra
   10 May 2007      1445          2         Aqua
   15 May 2007      1200          1         Terra
   18 Jun 2007      1150          2         Terra
   27 Jun 2007      1145          1         Terra
   27 Jun 2007      1445          1         Aqua
   29 Jun 2007      1130          1         Terra
   11 Jul 2007      1155          4         Terra
   11 Jul 2007      1455          4         Aqua
   13 Jul 2007      1145          1         Terra

Several photographs were taken offshore of the island during the
February 2006 eruption (BGVN 31:03); figure 9 is an example of some
activity during that eruption.

Figure 9. Lava blocks tumbling into the ocean on at Tinakula on the
morning of 21 February 2006. Courtesy of Bill Yeaton.

Geologic Summary. The small 3.5-km-wide island of Tinakula is the
exposed summit of a massive stratovolcano that rises 3-4 km from the
sea floor at the NW end of the Santa Cruz islands. Tinakula resembles
Stromboli volcano in containing a breached summit crater that extends
from the 851-m-high summit to below sea level. Landslides enlarged
this scarp in 1965, creating an embayment on the NW coast. The
satellitic cone of Mendana is located on the SE side. The dominantly
andesitic Tinakula volcano has frequently been observed in eruption
since the era of Spanish exploration began in 1595. In about 1840, an
explosive eruption apparently produced pyroclastic flows that swept
all sides of the island, killing its inhabitants. Frequent historical
eruptions have originated from a cone constructed within the large
breached crater. These have left the upper flanks of the volcano and
the steep apron of lava flows and volcaniclastic debris within the
breach unvegetated.
Information Contacts: Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
(HIGP) Thermal Alerts System, School of Ocean and Earth Science and
Technology (SOEST), Univ. of Hawai'i, 2525 Correa Road, Honolulu, HI
96822, USA (URL: http://hotspot.higp.hawaii.edu/); Bill Yeaton (URL:
http://www.billyeaton.com/).


Brothers
New Zealand
34.875°S, 179.075°E; summit elev. -1,350 m
All times are local (= UTC + 12 hours)

In the latest of several investigations since 1996, scientists again
explored Brothers submarine volcano, working there during 28 July-16
August 2007 (figure 10). The German research ship R.V. Sonne provided
the platform for these 2007 investigations, which included bathymetric
mapping, measurements of the water column, and observations of
hydrothermal activity. This report summarizes some of the mapping and
basic observations made at Brothers on this recent and past cruises.

Figure 10. Regional tectonic map indicating the location of Brothers
submarine volcano along the active volcanic front. Abbreviations: C =
Curtis Island; CLSC = Central Lau spreading center; ELSC = Eastern Lau
spreading center; M = Macauley Island; NFSC = North Fiji spreading
center; R = Raoul Island, TVZ = Taupo volcanic zone; W = White Island.
After de Ronde and others (2005).

Brothers rests along the active Kermadec arc at a point ~450 km NE
offshore of New Zealand's North Island (figure 10). For reference, the
volcano White Island lies ~50 km off the coast in the Bay of Plenty at
the N end of North Island ("W," figure 10). Parts of Brothers have
been explored previously from surface ships and submersibles,
documenting the volcano as hydrothermally active but not in eruption.

Earlier surveys at Brothers. In February 1996, the first sulfide
samples from the southern Kermadec arc were dredged from Brothers. On
a cruise in late 1998, New Zealand scientists confirmed that Brothers
hosted active hydrothermal vents. Using towed cameras and videos,
scientists observed tall chimneys perched on the NW caldera's steep
walls. On that 1998 cruise, scientists also saw clear evidence of hot,
metal- and sulfur-rich fluids expelled from inside the caldera.
Numerous samples from Brothers have been acquired and analyzed (for
example, see de Ronde and others, 2005).

Other cruises during 1999, 2002, and 2004 mapped and sampled black
smokers and other hydrothermal plumes that emanated from the numerous
active chimneys. In late 2004, scientists dove four times on vent
sites with the Japanese manned submersible Shinkai 6500, followed in
2005 by five dives with the American submersible Pisces V.

2007 report of investigations. The 2007 cruise (called the New Zealand
American Submarine Ring of Fire 2007) represented a collaboration
between the Geological and Nuclear Sciences-GNS (New Zealand), the
Leibniz Institute for Sea Sciences at the University of Kiel ( das
Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften an der Universitat Kiel--IFM
GEOMAR) (Germany), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Ocean Exploration (NOAA-OE) program (USA), and the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (USA). Logs of the cruise,
available on a NOAA website, and the paper by de Ronde and others
(2005) provided much of the information for this preliminary report.

Bathymetric information was used to create an oblique relief image of
the 350-m-high intracaldera cone with the caldera floor and walls in
the background (figure 11). A hydrothermal area lies along the
caldera's NW wall and hydrothermal chimneys were seen there (figure
12). Diffuse venting was also reported from the prominent and smaller
cones.

Figure 11. (Left) A bathymetric map based on EM 300 multibeam
soundings and depicting Brothers with a contour interval of 200 m.
Much of the sea floor surrounding the edifice at distances of several
kilometers away lies below 2,200 m depth. Much of the volcano's rim
lies at ~ 1,400 m depth. Fluids as hot as 300°C vented at the two
identified hydrothermal areas.  (Right) An oblique, three-dimensional
view of Brothers looking NW (with 3-fold vertical exaggeration) in a
graphic prepared at the end of the 2007 cruise. The caldera's
dimensions are 3-by-4 km. Although a vertical scale corresponding to
the shading is absent, the large cone in the left foreground rises ~
350 m above the caldera floor. Both that summit crater and the smaller
cone to the NE (right) discharged hydrothermal emissions. The rough,
sometimes blocky material exposed along the caldera wall consists of
older, pre-caldera lavas and other volcanic rocks. Courtesy of New
Zealand American Submarine Ring of Fire 2!
 007 Exploration.

Figure 12. An active hydrothermal chimney (commonly known as a "black
smoker") photographed at Brothers at the NW caldera hydrothermal site
during the 2007 cruise. The dark color of the vented material is
thought to result from particulates. Image courtesy of New Zealand
American Submarine Ring of Fire 2007 Exploration.

The existence of active thermal features at Brothers also comes from
observations of seawater turbidity (i.e., cloudiness of the water
column, analogous to the plume in figure 12). Basically, areas of high
turbidity signify hydrothermal venting (figure 13). In more detail,
turbidity, when considered along with collateral data (such as
seawater velocity over the ocean floor, electrical conductivity,
temperature, and samples of water and rock) may provide clues about
the strength, chemistry, and location of the hydrothermal venting.

Figure 13. A cross-section depicting the sea-floor topography and the
result of light-scattering measurements (turbidity of the water
column) at Brothers, drawn from SE to NW. Bottom topography
(exaggerated) is shown corresponding to the scale at left. Shading
indicates the level of turbidity (i.e., cloudiness, haziness, or lack
of clarity) as measured in the change in (delta) nephelometric
turbidity units (INTU), a nondimensional optical standard contrasting
measured turbidity to that of local ambient water. High INTU values
indicate increased particulate within the hydrothermal plume. Note the
regions of high INTU adjacent the NW caldera wall and the summit of
the caldera cone, areas indicated as focal points for hydrothermal
venting. The thin black line traces the path of the CTD
(conductivity/temperature/depth) sensors towed at various depths along
the cross-section. Image courtesy of New Zealand American Submarine
Ring of Fire 2007 Exploration.

Metal deposits. One goal of the 2007 expedition was to better
understand hydrothermal venting and its relation to metal-bearing
deposits at Brothers. Hydrothermal vents, which might be active for
periods from months to decades, may contribute to mineral deposits
along the Kermadec arc. Investigators developed a hypothetical
diagrammatic cross section through Brothers presenting a model of its
internal intrusive processes and thermal and hydrothermal evolution
(de Ronde and others, 2005).

Submersibles. Technology used to study Brothers included two
well-instrumented submersibles.

One submersible was a torpedo-like autonomous underwater vehicle known
as the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE, from Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution). ABE was intended to 'fly' above the surface of the
crater in a grid pattern. ABE's instrumentation includes a fluxgate
magnetometer, swath (wide-angle) bathymetry using multibeam sonar, and
instruments to measure conductivity, temperature, depth, and water
chemistry. ABE assesses its relationship to the sea floor to within
several meters by using sonar and satellite guidance systems.
Typically it operates ~25 m above the sea floor on a programmed path
for up to 16 hours before surfacing to recharge its batteries.

The other submersible was a new remotely operated, tethered
vehicle-the SeaQuest 6000. It connects to the ship by a fiber-optic
cable, contains numerous instruments, and carries manipulator arms and
video cameras. Available reports noted that on the cruise, SeaQuest
6000 examined previously identified seafloor features in more detail.

References: de Ronde, C. E. J. , Hannington, M.D., Stoffers, P.,
Wright, I.C., Ditchburn, R.G., Reyes, A.G., Baker, E.T., Massoth,
G.J., Lupton, J.E., Walker, S.L., Greene, R.R., Soong, C.W.R.,
Ishibashi, J., Lebon, G.T., Bray, C.J., and Resing, J.A., 2005,
Evolution of a Submarine Magmatic-Hydrothermal System: Brothers
Volcano, Southern Kermadec Arc, New Zealand:  Economic Geology, v.
100, no. 6, p. 1097-1133.

Smith, W. H. F., and Sandwell, D.T., 1997, Global seafloor topography
from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings: Science, v. 277, p.
1957-1962, 26 Sept. 1997.

Geologic Summary. The submarine Brothers volcano, located NE of the
Healy submarine volcano, contains an oval-shaped summit caldera 3-3.5
km wide. The volcano is elongated in a NW-SE direction, and the high
point of the dominantly dacitic volcano lies on the NW caldera rim at
about 1,350 m below the sea surface. The caldera floor is at about
1,850 m depth, and a post-caldera lava dome was constructed on the
southern caldera floor and partially merges with the southern caldera
wall. Brothers volcano displays major submarine hydrothermal activity,
including a large field of "black smoker" vents on the NW caldera wall
and vents on the post-caldera dome.

Information Contacts: Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences
(GNS), Private Bag 2000, Wairakwi, New Zealand (URL:
http://www.gns.cri.nz/); The Leibniz Institute for Sea Sciences at the
University of Kiel, IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany; US National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) (URL:
http://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/); Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543 USA (URL:
http://www.whoi.edu).


Poas
Costa Rica
10.20°N, 84.233°W; summit elev. 2,708 m
All times are local (= UTC - 6 hours)

Minor phreatic eruptions occurred during 25-26 September 2006 (BGVN
31:08). This report provides more information compiled by the
Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica-Universidad
Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA). At the beginning of September, the level of
the lake had dropped 5 cm from that of early August, it was light gray
in color with sulfur particles floating on the surface, and the
temperature was 41º C. On 21 September, the lake had a milky, light
blue color.

On 25 September at 2148, seismic station POA2 (2.7 km SW of the active
crater) registered a high-frequency signal. The phreatic event that
caused the signal ejected a column of fine materials (lake sediments)
that were blown SW to a distance of 12 km from the crater. Afterwards
the lake color was a darker gray with dark particles floating on the
surface; the temperature was 46ºC.

New points of fumarolic activity appeared in the SE and NE walls and
in the floor of the crater with deposition of sulfur and gas
discharge. The temperatures in these areas fluctuated between 90 and
108ºC, with gas columns that reached the edge of the crater. Existing
cracks in the crater terrace and the NE edge of the crater continued
to widen with gas discharge and sulfur-rich sublimate deposition.

Geologic Summary. The broad, well-vegetated edifice of Poas, one of
the most active volcanoes of Costa Rica, contains three craters along
a N-S line. The frequently visited multi-hued summit crater lakes of
the basaltic-to-dacitic volcano, which is one of Costa Rica's most
prominent natural landmarks, are easily accessible by vehicle from the
nearby capital city of San Jose. A N-S-trending fissure cutting the
2708-m-high complex stratovolcano extends to the lower northern flank,
where it has produced the Congo stratovolcano and several lake-filled
maars. The southernmost of the two summit crater lakes, Botos, is cold
and clear and last erupted about 7500 years ago. The more prominent
geothermally heated northern lake, Laguna Caliente, is one of the
world's most acidic natural lakes, with a pH of near zero. It has been
the site of frequent phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions since the
first historical eruption was reported in 1828. Poas eruptions often
include geyser-like !
 ejections of crater-lake water.

Information Contacts: Observatorio Vulcanologico Sismologica de Costa
Rica-Universidad Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA), Apartado 86-3000, Heredia,
Costa Rica. (URL: http://www.ovsicori.una.ac.cr/).


Concepcion
Nicaragua
11.538°N, 85.622°W; summit elev. 1,700? m
All times are local (= UTC - 6 hours)

An eruption in late July 2005 caused ashfall on the island and
adjacent mainland (BGVN 30:07). Intermittent eruptions were ongoing
through 10 November 2005. After that time the Nicaraguan Institute of
Territorial Studies (INETER) did not report further volcanism again
until September 2006. The following information is from INETER.
Activity during August-November 2005. On 19 August, an explosion of
gas and ash resulted in ashfall in nearby communities. One official
stated that the explosion was felt throughout the entire island.
Scientists using a correlation spectrometer (COSPEC) on loan from the
Institute of National of Seismology Volcanology, Meteorology and
Hydrology of Guatemala (INSIVUMEH) measured an SO2 flux of 400 metric
tons per day. The sulfur dioxide levels did not pose an immediate risk
to the population. Two explosions on 29 August were followed by
seismic tremor and the discharge of gas and ash. The ash reached a
height of at least 1 km and ashfall was reported in the community of
Altagracia, 5-6 km NE from the summit.

No activity was reported during September, but on 12 October another
explosion ejected gas and ash, and ashfall was reported in several
communities. In Altagracia, a strong smell of sulfur was reported. The
next activity was reported on 4, 6, 8, and 10 November, when
explosions and seismic tremor occurred with strong and prolonged
discharge of gas and ash. Ashfall was reported in a number of nearby
communities. On some days in early November island residents observed
the ejection of incandescent material from the crater.

Activity during September 2006-July 2007. On 1 September 2006 the
seismic station located on the island N of the volcano detected four
seismic events possibly related to explosions in the crater. The
earthquakes were not felt by the population, but inhabitants of La
Flor (5 km NW) and San Marcos (6 km NNW) reported the smell of sulfur
and noted minor ashfall. During the night of 19 September 2006 the
seismograph on the Island of Ometepe registered volcanic activity from
the NW slope that lasted approximately 40 minutes. On 21 September
INETER reported three explosions. A seismic event of low magnitude at
1321 was registered that served as a precursor to a series of three
explosions. The three explosions occurring from 1330 (nine minutes
after the seismic event) to 1337 produced a column of gases and ash
seen across southern Nicaragua, including the city of Granada (56 km
NW), and local authorities reported ashfall in Moyogalpa (8 km W),
Bethlehem, and Potosi (28 km W).

After almost four months with no reported activity, on 9 February 2007
INETER noted that increased volcanic activity began at 1045.
Explosions in the crater ejected gas and ash. The plumes drifted WSW
at low altitudes. Activity continued the next day with small
explosions of gas and ash from the crater. The plumes again remained
at low levels and dropped ash on the WSW flanks. No seismic events
were registered by the seismic station.

The seismic station recorded a crater explosion on 8 April that sent a
gas-and-ash plume to a height of ~1 km and drifted W. On 22 April, two
successive evening explosions recorded seismically expelled gas and
volcanic ash that drifted SW. More than two months of quiet was again
broken by an explosions on 10 July that expelled a moderate amount of
gas and ash NW, depositing ash in Moyogalpa and La Flor .

Geologic Summary. Volcan Concepcion is one of Nicaragua's highest and
most active volcanoes. The symmetrical basaltic-to-dacitic
stratovolcano forms the NW half of the dumbbell-shaped island of
Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua and is connected to neighboring Madera
volcano by a narrow isthmus. A steep-walled summit crater is 250 m
deep and has a higher western rim. N-S-trending fractures on the
flanks of the volcano have produced chains of spatter cones, cinder
cones, lava domes, and maars located on the NW, NE, SE, and southern
sides extending in some cases down to Lake Nicaragua. Concepcion was
constructed above a basement of lake sediments, and the modern cone
grew above a largely buried caldera, a small remnant of which forms a
break in slope about halfway up the N flank. Frequent explosive
eruptions during the past half century have increased the height of
the summit significantly above that shown on current topographic maps
and have kept the upper part of the volcano unvegeta!
 ted.

Information Contacts: Instituto Nicaraguense de Estudios Territoriales
(INETER), Volcanology Department, Apartado 2110, Managua, Nicaragua
(URL: http://www.ineter.gob.ni/geofisica/vol/concepcion/concepcion.html).


Santa Ana
El Salvador
13.853°N, 89.630°W; summit elev. 2,381 m
All times are local (= UTC - 6 hours)

Researchers from Michigan Technological University (MTU) and Servicio
Nacional de Estudios Territoriales (SNET) visited the crater of Santa
Ana on 28 June and 5 July 2007 to measure crater lake and fumarole
temperatures, and to carry out routine water sampling.

Crater lake. The crater lake appeared yellowish-green and had a
maximum temperature of 57.5 ºC, measured by a thermocouple at the
northern shore. The crater lake was observed to have shifted westward
in position since the 1 October 2005 eruption, drowning the main
pre-eruption fumarole field to the W and receding from its eastern
border (figure 14). A subaqueous hot spring was observed in the center
of the lake at the end of a peninsula of exposed sediments (figure
15). The hot spring exhibited episodic pulses of bubbling water about
every 5 minutes.

Figure 14. The yellowish-green acid crater lake of Santa Ana volcano
as seen when viewed on 28 June 2007 looking towards the N. Photo taken
by Anna Colvin.

Figure 15. Hot spring emerging in the acid lake at Santa Ana as seen 5
July 2007. Episodic upwelling of whitish fluid radiated out from the
base of the large rock in the center of the photo. View is towards the
SW; note geologist for scale. Photo taken by Matt Patrick.

Fumaroles. Crater fumaroles were observed to the W and S of the crater
lake, and weak fumaroles were also observed on the upper wall above
the flat area and below the SW crater rim. The southern crater
fumaroles and the upper fumaroles were measured by thermocouple and
radiometer (Extech 42545) (figure 16). Fumaroles to the W were not
measured due to limited accessibility.

Figure 16. At Santa Ana, the location of fumarole measurements and the
hot spring shown in the previous figure. View is towards the SW. Photo
mosaic taken 5 July 2007 by Matt Patrick.

The seven largest southern crater fumaroles were measured along an E-W
transect. The lower fumaroles emitted mainly water vapor, though some
sulfur crystals and a weak sulfurous smell were present. Lower
fumaroles temperatures ranged from 92.0 to 95.2 ºC, and thermocouple
and radiometer measurements agreed very well (to within 3%). The upper
fumaroles were diffuse and relatively weak, occurring in loosely
consolidated tephra. The upper fumaroles emitted mainly water vapor
and lacked sulfur deposits or sulfurous smell. Upper fumaroles
temperatures ranged from 70.0 to 79.0 ºC, and thermocouple and
radiometer measurements agreed well (to within 6%).

Geologic Summary. Santa Ana, El Salvador's highest volcano, is a
massive, 2,381-m-high andesitic-to-basaltic stratovolcano that rises
immediately W of Coatepeque caldera. Collapse of Santa Ana (also known
as Ilamatepec) during the late Pleistocene produced a voluminous
debris avalanche that swept into the Pacific Ocean, forming the
Acajutla Peninsula. Reconstruction of the volcano subsequently filled
most of the collapse scarp. The broad summit of the volcano is cut by
several crescentic craters, and a series of parasitic vents and cones
have formed along a 20-km-long fissure system that extends from near
the town of Chalchuapa NNW of the volcano to the San Marcelino and
Cerro la Olla cinder cones on the SE flank. Historical activity,
largely consisting of small-to-moderate explosive eruptions from both
summit and flank vents, has been documented since the 16th century.
The San Marcelino cinder cone on the SE flank produced a lava flow in
1722 that traveled 13 km to the E.

Information contacts: Demetrio Escobar and Francisco Montalvo,
Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales, SNET, Km. 5 1/2 carretera
a Santa Tecla y Calle las Mercedes, contiguo a Parque de Pelota,
Edificio SNET, Apartado Postal #27, Centro de Gobierno, El Salvador
2283-2246 (URL: http://www.snet.gob.sv/); Matthew Patrick and Anna
Colvin, Dept. of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences,
Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI
49931, USA.


Uzon
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
54.50°N, 159.97°E; summit elev. 1617 m
All times are local (= UTC +12 hours)

On 3 June 2007 the renowned Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka was
seriously damaged by direct burial and subsequent flooding associated
with a major landslide. This was communicated in a report from 28 June
by the father-and-son team of Vladimir and Andrei Leonov. The Valley
of Geysers is a remote geothermal area along a 4-km-long valley near
the E margin of Geyzernaya caldera at Uzon-Geyzernaya volcano-tectonic
depression ("U"; Leonov and others, 1991) (figure 17).

Figure 17. Maps showing Uzon-Geysernaya volcano-tectonic depression on
the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. (left) Index map of the Kamchatka
Peninsula,  in the NW Pacific area, showing Holocene volcano
locations. (right) Shaded relief map highlighting the topographic
margins of the Uzon-Geysernaya volcano-tectonic depression ("U") and
the Kikhpinych stratovolcano ("K"), one of the youngest in Kamchatka's
eastern volcanic zone; the hachured line indicates the SE side of a
regional graben.  "Ic" indicates the center of inflation. World inset
location map courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory. Main maps are from
Lundgren and Lu (2006), but the right map was revised by Bulletin
editors to add the location and Ic symbol based on interferograms in
that paper.

Although the name Uzon is intrenched in the literature, the shorthand
is potentially confusing since it could refer to the caldera on the W
side of the complex. Both Uzon and Geyzernaya calderas support
hydrothermal systems feeding thermal features. Moreover, a small cone
named Uzon resides on the W rim of Uzon caldera. Accordingly, in this
report we will refer to the larger complex as Uzon-Geyzernaya. The
landslide which entered the Valley of Geysers is refered to as the
2007 Geyzernaya landslide.

The area where the slide occurred was the subject of a recent paper
(discussed below) on satellite-detected uplift on the same E side of
the caldera where the slide took place (Lundgren and Lu, 2006). "Ic"
indicates the approximate center of inflation detected by satellite
radar interferometry using data from 2000 to 2003 (Lundgren and Lu,
2006 ).

According to the Leonovs' report, several beautiful geysers have been
lost, including Pervenets, the first geyser discovered by Tatyana
Ustinova in 1941, and a group of geysers known as Troynoy group. The
main geyser field, Vitrazh, and the largest geyser, Velikan, remained
intact (table 2 and figure 18).

Table 2. Summary and key to names and numbers for Valley of Geysers,
about half of which were disrupted or destroyed by the 2007 Geyzernaya
landslide. The numbers correspond with those on figures 18 and 19.
Courtesy of Vladimir and Andrei Leonov.

   Number   Status              Name                       English
translation of name

   1        Covered by slide    Pervenets                  First born
   2        Covered by slide    Troynoi                    Triple
   3        Covered by slide    Sakharny                   Sugar
   4        Covered by slide    Sosed                      Neighbor
   5        Covered by slide    Uvodopada                  Near the waterfall
   6        Flooded by lake     Skalisty                   Rocky
   7        Flooded by lake     Konus                      Cone
   8        Flooded by lake     Bolshaya Pechka            Gross Owen
   9        Flooded by lake     Maly                       Lesser
   10       Flooded by lake     Bolshoi                    Greater
   11       Active mid-Sep      Shchel                     Crack
   12-16    Active on 28 Jun    "Vitrazh" geyser field:    "Stained
glass" geyser field:
                                 Grot, Novy Fontan,         Grotto,
New Fountain,
                                 Fontan, Dvoynoi,           Fountain, Double,
                                 Nepostoyanny               Unstable
   17    Active on 28 Jun       Velikan                    Giant
   18    Active on 28 Jun       Zhemchuzhny                Pearl

Figure 18. An oblique aerial view created on a base map from Google
Earth software, depicting the Valley of Geysers  looking E (N is to
the left). The slide area and direction of flow are clearly marked,
the mass having swept down the caldera's E wall. The topographically
flat area in the upper right is the Pacific ocean. Note lodge at small
icon in the form of a house. Thermal features indicated by symbol for
spring (small circles with tail); many of these are numbered. The
image also shows where the slide dammed the Geyzernaya river; the
resulting lake submerged the Bolshoi and Maly geysers. Courtesy of
Vladimir and Andrei Leonov.

The landslide formed in the upper reaches of Vodopadny creek. The
authors suggested that the main cause of the slide appeared to be the
common process of gradual erosion. The nearest seismic instrument was
~100 km away; on that instrument at the time of the slide's onset,
earthquakes were absent.

Correspondence with Vladimir Leonov on 11 September revealed that the
slide's computed volume was then considered to be 12-15 million cubic
meters. The report also stated that this was clearly the largest
historical slide in Kamchatka and possibly one of the largest in all
of Russia. Later correspondence clarified this comparison as excluding
debris-avalanche deposits such as those associated with lateral blasts
closely associated with eruptions in 1980 at St. Helens and in 1956 at
Bezymianny.

The landslide of rock and mud went down the Vodopadny creek, reached
the Geyzernaya river, and moved along the river to its inflow into the
Shumnaya river (figures 18-20). The slide was ~2 km in length. A dam
was formed on the Geyzernaya river with a height of up to 60 m that
caused a rapid backup of water and the formation of a lake. The lake
flooded the geysers Bolshoi and Maly located up the river and came
close to the main "Vitrazh" geyser field. On 7 June the water level in
the lake reached its maximum elevation of 435 m. Later that day the
river eroded through the dam and the water level started to decline
quickly. During the first four hours the water level subsided to 9 m
depth. As of 28 June the main group of geysers appeared safe from
flooding.

Figure 19. Sketch map on 10 June 2007 showing  features after the
Geyzernaya landslide. N is to the upper right. The numbers correspond
to those on table 2. Courtesy of Vladimir and Andrei Leonov.

Figure 20. A photo looking down at the 2007  landslide from the NE rim
of the Valley of Geysers. The lower portion of the landslide dammed
the Geyzernaya river and backed up a lake. A surviving cluster of
tourist facilities are at the slide's margin. From the Leonov's
report; copyrighted photo by I.F. Delemen, Institute of Volcanology
and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences
(IVaS FEB RAS).

In the flooding of the Bolshoi and Maly geysers, Bolshoi ended up 2 m
under water, and Maly, 15 m under water. In addition, several smaller
geysers-Skalisty (Rocky), Konus (Cone), Bolshaya Pechka (Gross
Owen)-were also flooded. The pulsating spring Malakhitovy Grot
(Malachite Grotto) was half-flooded and sometimes boiled.

On 7 June a new geyser appeared in the Valley but it was active for
only several hours. While the water level in the lake increased, a
pulsating spring in front of Shchel geyser (perhaps The Little Prince)
started to work as a geyser with eruption heights of 4-5 m. After the
water level dropped, the geyser returned to a pulsating spring state.

One of the landslide's tongues came close to tourist-camp buildings in
the Geyser Valley (figures 18-22). Although some camp facilities were
destroyed, three main houses (a hostel, a scientist's house, and a
ranger's house) were undamaged. As seen in figures 21 and 22, the edge
of the slide reached within about a meter of the hostel and covered
parts of the adjacent wood-decked walkway. People occupied buildings
when the landslide occurred but the slide halted at a point where no
one was injured.

Figure 21. The landslide in the Valley of Geysers left the hostel at
the tourist camp just barely outboard of the deposit. The
juxtaposition of the deposit and unscathed building reveals the
deposit's unsorted character and clast-size distribution, which
includes some large blocks several meters in diameter. This photo was
shot from ten's of meters away from the hostel. Photo is from the
Leonov's report; copyrighted by I.F. Delemen (IVaS FED RAS).

Figure 22. Landslide rubble came to rest near the hostel's side wall.
>From the Leonov's report; copyrighted photo by I.F. Delemen (IVaS FED
RAS).

At the time of the slide, a tourist group consisting of over 20 people
were in the Valley, but fortunately they were at the thermal field
near the river, and only helicopter pilots and some personnel remained
at the camp. In addition to stopping near the buildings, the body of
the lanslide stopped 1 m  before the resting helicopter, but trees
carried by the slide jutted out and entangled the helicopter.

The 30-m waterfall at the Vodopadny creek junction with Geyzernaya
river was fully covered as well as the geyser near the waterfall. The
"Thirty-meter rocks" at the entrance to the Geyser Valley were also
covered by the landslide. All the small geysers, springs and thermal
fields along Vodopadny creek were lost; however, the creek itself
established a new course on the slide's surface.
Overall assessment. Eight large geysers were still functioning at the
time of the report, about half of the main geysers that existed before
the landslide (table 2). Five of these still working geysers were in
the Vitrazh field (Grot, Fontan, Novy Fontan, Dvoynoi, and
Nepostoyanny). The three others also still working were Velikan,
Zhemchuzhny, and Shchel (the latter, initially submerged but by
mid-September was 8 m above the lake level and seemingly returned to
normal behavior.

Four large geysers were flooded by the lake (Bolshoi, Maly, Skalisty,
Konus). Four were destroyed by the slide (Pervenets, Troynoi,
Sakharny, and Sosed).

The Geyzernaya river found a new course on the landslide's surface.
Caves developed on the slide's surface hosted small lakes. In several
places on the river banks observers saw the emergence of earth slumps
and new boiling springs (figure 23).

Figure 23. At Uzon boiling springs and plumes emerged along the banks
of the dammed Geyzernaya river after the new lake's water level
dropped. Copyrighted photo by Igor Shpilenok; taken from the Leonovs'
report.

Other information. Igor Shpilenok, a nature photographer, has posted
on the web a suite of impressive before-and-after photos. The photos
include shots of the upland area that spawned the landslide prior to
the event.

On 20 June, Jesse Allen from NASA published an article about the slide
discussing a satellite image of the area captured on 11 June. He noted
"The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
(ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this infrared-enhanced
image on [11 June] 2007, a week after the slide. The image shows the
valley, the landslide, and the new thermal lake. Even in mid-June,
just days from the start of summer, the landscape is generally covered
in snow, though the geologically heated valley is relatively snow
free. The tree-covered hills are red (the color of vegetation in this
false-color treatment), providing a strong contrast to the aquamarine
water and the gray-brown slide.

Lundgren and Lu (2006) noted that their satellite interferometry data
showed significant deformation spanning 2000 to 2003. During that
interval, they noted ~0.15 m of inflation occurred at Geyzernaya
caldera. As previously mentioned, the data indicated an area of uplift
centered roughly at point Ic on figure 17. In contrast,
during1999-2000, and 2003-2004 the radar data failed to indicate
significant deformation. Lundgren and Lu (2006) point out that the
surface-incidence angles (angles from the vertical) are nearly as
sensitive to horizontal as to vertical displacements in the range
direction (to the WNW). Based on the maps by Leonovs shown above, the
upper portion of the landslide was directed roughly the same way (NW).

For the 2000-2003 interval, modeling by Lundgren and Lu (2006)
suggested the main regions of uplift occured beneath central and
eastern parts of the Uzon-Geyzernaya volcano-tectonic depression, with
extension beyond the caldera to the NE beneath Kikhpinych volcano.
Uplift was  bounded to the ESE by the graben (the linear feature
cutting E of the caldera in figure 17).

Figure 24 shows synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) interferograms, where
each shading cycle represents 2.8 cm of line-of-sight displacement at
the surface. Hatched lines indicate the caldera rim. This
interferogram stems from radar images during the date range 19
September 2000-11 August 2003. This is only one of several
interferograms Lundgren and Lu (2006) presented for the interval of
significant surface displacement.

Figure 24. A radar interferogram for Uzon and vicinity showing over 10
cm of uplift centered on the caldera's E rim. The image was also
associated with a stated perpendicular baseline Bp=58 and RADARSAT-1
beam and surface-incidence angle from vertical for Beam 4 of 38°. From
Lundgren and Lu (2006; their figure 2c).

References: Leonov, V.L., Grib, E.N., Karpov, G.A., Sugrobov, V.M.,
Sugrobova, N.G, and Zubin, Z.I., 1991, Uzon caldera and Valley of
Geysers, in Active Volcanoes of Kamchatka, edited by S.A. Fedotov and
Y.P. Masurenkov, Nauka, Moscow,  p. 92-141.

Lundgren, P., Lu, Z., 2006, Inflation Model of Uzon Caldera,
Kamchatka, Constrained by Satellite Radar Interferometry Observations:
Geophys. Res. Ltrs, 16 March 2006 (Vol. 33, No. 6, L06301, Paper No.
10.1029/2005GL025181) (PDF file currently available at
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/insar/public_files/Lundgren_Lu_Uzon_GRL_2006.pdf).

Geologic Summary. The Uzon and Geyzernaya calderas, containing
Kamchatka's largest geothermal area, form a 7 x 18 km depression that
originated during multiple eruptions during the upper-Pleistocene.
Widespread ignimbrite deposits associated with caldera formation have
a volume of 20-25 cu km (exclusive of airfall deposits) and cover an
area of 1,700 sq km. Post-caldera activity was largely upper
Pleistocene to Holocene in age and consisted of the extrusion of small
silicic lava domes and flows and maar formation. The Lake Dal'ny maar
in the NE part of the 9 x 12 km western caldera, Uzon, is early
Holocene in age. The extensive high-temperature hydrothermal system of
the Uzon-Geyzernaya volcano-tectonic depression includes the many hot
springs, mudpots, and geysers of the Valley of Geysers, a 4-km-long
canyon on the E margin of the depression. A phreatic explosion
occurred in 1986 in the western part of the Vostochny thermal field,
creating a new 14-m-wide crater.

Information Contacts: Vladimir L. Leonov and Ivan F. Delemen,
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of Russian
Academy of Sciences (IVaS FEB RAS), 9 Piip Boulevard,
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka 683006, Russia; Andrei V. Leonov
(Email: spanishflyer@xxxxxxxxx; URL:
http://www.kscnet.ru/ivs/expeditions/2007/Geyser_Valley-06-2007/Geyser_Valley-06.htm);
Igor Shpilenok, Russian Nature Photography, Chukhrai, Suzemsky raion,
Bryansk oblast, 242181, Russia (URL:
http://www.shpilenok.com/html/contact.htm); Jesse Allen, NASA Earth
Observatory (URL: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/).

Global Volcanism Program (http://www.volcano.si.edu/)

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