Michael E. West

Subglacial discharge at tidewater glaciers revealed by seismic tremor

Abstract Subglacial discharge influences glacier basal motion and erodes and redeposits sediment. At tidewater glacier termini, discharge drives submarine terminus melting, affects fjord circulation, and is a central component of proglacial marine ecosystems. However, our present inability to track subglacial discharge and its variability significantly hinders our understanding of these processes. Here we report observations of hourly to seasonal variations in 1.5–10 Hz seismic tremor that strongly correlate with subglacial discharge but not with basal motion, weather, or discrete icequakes. Our data demonstrate that vigorous discharge occurs from tidewater glaciers during summer, in spite of fast basal motion that could limit the formation of subglacial conduits, and then abates during winter. Furthermore, tremor observations and a melt model demonstrate that drainage efficiency of tidewater glaciers evolves seasonally. Glaciohydraulic tremor provides a means by which to quantify subglacial discharge variations and offers a promising window into otherwise obscured glacierized environments.

Causal Instrument Corrections for Short‐Period and Broadband Seismometers

Online Material: Matlab codes and data example of instrument corrections. Of all the filters applied to recordings of seismic waves, which include source, path, and site effects, the one we know most precisely is the instrument filter. Therefore, it behooves seismologists to accurately remove the effect of the instrument from raw seismograms. Applying instrument corrections allows analysis of the seismogram in terms of physical units (e.g., displacement or particle velocity of the Earth’s surface) instead of the output of the instrument (e.g., digital counts). The instrument correction can be considered the most fundamental processing step in seismology since it relates the raw data to an observable quantity of interest to seismologists. Complicating matters is the fact that, in practice, the term “instrument correction” refers to more than simply the seismometer. The instrument correction compensates for the complete recording system including the seismometer, telemetry, digitizer, and any anti‐alias filters. Knowledge of all these components is necessary to perform an accurate instrument correction. The subject of instrument corrections has been covered extensively in the literature (Seidl, 1980; Scherbaum, 1996). However, the prospect of applying instrument corrections still evokes angst among many seismologists—the authors of this paper included. There may be several reasons for this. For instance, the seminal paper by Seidl (1980) exists in a journal that is not currently available in electronic format and cannot be accessed online. Also, a standard method for applying instrument corrections involves the programs TRANSFER and EVALRESP in the Seismic Analysis Code (SAC) package (Goldstein et al. , 2003). The exact mathematical methods implemented in these codes are not thoroughly described in the documentation accompanying SAC. We describe a general method for causal instrument correction that is applicable to data from a wide range of seismometers and present a set of codes for implementing the …

Tidal and seasonal variations in calving flux observed with passive seismology

The seismic signatures of calving events, i.e., calving icequakes, offer an opportunity to examine calving variability with greater precision than is available with other methods. Here using observations from Yahtse Glacier, Alaska, we describe methods to detect, locate, and characterize calving icequakes. We combine these icequake records with a coincident, manually generated record of observed calving events to develop and validate a statistical model through which we can infer iceberg sizes from the properties of calving icequakes. We find that the icequake duration is the single most significant predictor of an icebergs size. We then apply this model to 18 months of seismic recordings and find elevated iceberg calving flux during the summer and fall and a pronounced lull in calving during midwinter. Calving flux is sensitive to semidiurnal tidal stage. Large calving events are tens of percent more likely during falling and low tides than during rising and high tides, consistent with a view that deeper water has a stabilizing influence on glacier termini. Multiple factors affect the occurrence of mechanical fractures that ultimately lead to iceberg calving. At Yahtse Glacier, seismology allows us to demonstrate that variations in the rate of submarine melt are a dominant control on iceberg calving rates at seasonal timescales. On hourly to daily timescales, tidal modulation of the normal stress against the glacier terminus reveals the nonlinear glacier response to changes in the near-terminus stress field.

Regional controls on volcano seismicity along the Aleutian arc

We identify patterns in volcano seismicity along the Aleutian arc using nearly 10 years of seismic data recorded at 46 volcanoes. The volcanoes in the central portion of the arc—those located from Aniakchak to Okmok—are associated with significantly more seismicity at depths below 15 km. We also examine the median weight percent SiO2 compositions of the seismically monitored volcanoes by compiling published geochemical data. We find that the transition between felsic volcanism in the east to more mafic volcanism in the west occurs in the same region where the depth distribution of volcanic earthquakes changes. Since deep volcanic earthquakes are often thought to be generated by the ascent of magma through the deep crust (i.e., depths > 15 km), our results suggest that magma ascent is more prolific in the central part of the arc compared to the western and eastern regions. This observation is in agreement with the location of the largest and most historically active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc, which are found in same region that generates abundant deep volcano seismicity. We propose two models to explain these apparent variations in magmatic flux: (1) a stress-based model, in which subduction obliquity and the collision of the Yakutat block affect the stress regime in the upper plate, inhibiting the rise of magma in eastern and western regions of the arc and (2) a melt-based model, where more magma is generated in the central region of the arc through increased H2O in the downgoing slab via water-laden sediments and subducting fracture zones.

Using repeating volcano-tectonic earthquakes to track post-eruptive activity in the conduit system at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

In the year following the end of the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, four signifi cant swarms of low-frequency, lowmagnitude (M L < 0.1) earthquakes occurred at shallow depths beneath the summit. Because swarms of low-frequency (LF) earthquakes preceded eruptions in 1989 and 2009, the posteruption swarms caused considerable concern and prompted the Alaska Volcano Observatory to raise the monitoring levels on three occasions. None of these swarms led to eruptions, however, and most observers (including us) initially concluded that the swarms had been caused by minor stress adjustments in the new lava dome or in the surrounding summit glaciers. New observations reveal that the shallow LF swarms were accompanied by 2 families of repeating earthquakes at depths between 3 km and 6 km below sea level, where the magma storage region is thought to be. These mid-crustal volcano-tectonic (VT) type earthquakes were identical to earthquakes recorded during the 2009 Redoubt eruption more than 6 months earlier. Focal mechanisms demonstrate that these earthquakes have thrust mechanisms inconsistent with the strike-slip nature of regional faulting. Based on these observations, we conclude that they are generated through processes occurring within the magma storage region. The concurrence of the repeating VT earthquakes with the shallow LF swarms indicates that the shallow LF earthquakes were also magmatically driven. Our results emphasize that even brief episodes of low-amplitude earthquake activity, such as the LF swarms observed at Redoubt following the 2009 eruption, can be indicative of magmatic activity. Perhaps more signifi cant, however, is the demonstration that the conduit system at Redoubt remained active, intact, and capable of transporting heat and fl uids to the surface months after the eruption was considered over.

Three different types of plumbing system beneath the neighboring active volcanoes of Tolbachik, Bezymianny, and Klyuchevskoy in Kamchatka

The Klyuchevskoy group of volcanoes (KGV) in Kamchatka includes three presently active volcanoes (Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, and Tolbachik) located close together in an area of approximately 50 × 80 km. These three volcanoes have completely different compositions and eruption styles from each other. We have analyzed new data recorded by a temporary seismic network consisting of 22 seismic stations operated within the area of Tolbachik in 2014–2015 in conjunction with the data from the permanent network and the temporary PIRE network deployed at the Bezymianny volcano in 2009. The arrival times of the P and S waves were inverted using a local earthquake tomography algorithm to derive 3-D seismic models of the crust beneath the KGV as well as accurate seismicity locations. High-resolution structures beneath the Tolbachik volcanic complex were identified for the first time in this study. The tomography results reveal three different types of feeding system for the main KGV volcanoes. The basaltic lavas of the Klyuchevskoy volcano are supplied directly from a reservoir at a depth of 25–30 km through a nearly vertical pipe-shaped conduit. The explosive Bezymianny volcano is fed through a dispersed system of crustal reservoirs where a lighter felsic material separates from the mafic component and ascends to the upper crust to form andesitic magma sources. For Tolbachik, low-viscosity volatile-saturated basalts ascend from two deep reservoirs following a system of fractures in the crust associated with the intersections of regional faults. Plain Language Summary The Klyuchevskoy group of volcanoes (KGV) in Kamchatka includes three presently active volcanoes (Klyuchevskoy, Bezymianny, and Tolbachik) located close together in an area of approximately 50 × 80 km. These three volcanoes are among the most active volcanoes in the world, and they have completely different compositions and eruption styles from each other. We have analyzed new data recorded by a temporary seismic network consisting of 22 seismic stations installed within the area of Tolbachik in 2014–2015 in harsh natural conditions. Based on these data, we have derived high-resolution structures beneath the Tolbachik volcanic complex and surrounding areas. The tomography results reveal three different types of feeding system for the main KGV volcanoes. The basaltic lavas of the Klyuchevskoy volcano are supplied directly from a reservoir at a depth of 25–30 km through a nearly vertical pipe-shaped conduit. The explosive Bezymianny volcano is fed through a dispersed system of crustal reservoirs where a lighter felsic material separates from the mafic component and ascends to the upper crust to form andesitic magma sources. For Tolbachik, low-viscosity volatile-saturated basalts ascend from two deep reservoirs following a system of fractures in the crust associated with the intersections of regional faults.

Earthquake nucleation and fault slip complexity in the lower crust of central Alaska

Earthquakes start under conditions that are largely unknown. In laboratory analogue experiments and continuum models, earthquakes transition from slow-slipping, growing nucleation to fast-slipping rupture. In nature, earthquakes generally start abruptly, with no evidence for a nucleation process. Here we report evidence from a strike-slip fault zone in central Alaska of extended earthquake nucleation and of very-low-frequency earthquakes (VLFEs), a phenomenon previously reported only in subduction zone environments. In 2016, a VLFE transitioned into an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 and was preceded by a 12-hour-long accelerating foreshock sequence. Benefiting from 12 seismic stations deployed within 30 km of the epicentre, we identify coincident radiation of distinct high-frequency and low-frequency waves during 22 s of nucleation. The power-law temporal growth of the nucleation signal is quantitatively predicted by a model in which high-frequency waves are radiated from the vicinity of an expanding slow slip front. The observations reveal the continuity and complexity of slip processes near the bottom of the seismogenic zone of a strike-slip fault system in central Alaska.A strike-slip fault zone in central Alaska exhibits a range of earthquake slip processes, including very-low-frequency earthquakes, some of which transition into regular, fast earthquakes.

Synthesis: PLUTONS: Investigating the relationship between pluton growth and volcanism in the Central Andes

The Central Andes is a key global location to study the enigmatic relation between volcanism and plutonism because it has been the site of large ignimbrite-forming eruptions during the past several million years and currently hosts the world’s largest zone of silicic partial melt in the form of the Altiplano-Puna Magma (or Mush) Body (APMB) and the Southern Puna Magma Body (SPMB). In this themed issue, results from the recently completed PLUTONS project are synthesized. This project focused an interdisciplinary study on two regions of large-scale surface uplift that have been found to represent ongoing movement of magmatic fluids in the middle to upper crust. The locations are Uturuncu in Bolivia near the center of the APMB and Lazufre on the Chile-Argentina border, on the edge of the SPMB. These studies use a suite of geological, geochemical, geophysical (seismology, gravity, surface deformation, and electromagnetic methods), petrological, and geomorphological techniques with numerical modeling to infer the subsurface distribution, quantity, and movements of magmatic fluids, as well as the past history of eruptions. Both Uturuncu and Lazufre show separate geophysical anomalies in the upper, middle, and lower crust (e.g., low seismic velocity, low resistivity, etc.) indicating multiple distinct reservoirs of magma and/or hydrothermal fluids with different physical properties. The characteristics of the geophysical anomalies differ somewhat depending on the technique used—reflecting the different sensitivity of each method to subsurface melt (or fluid) of different compositions, connectivity, and volatile content and highlight the need for integrated, multidisciplinary studies. While the PLUTONS project has led to significant progress, many unresolved issues remain and new questions have been raised.

Focused magmatism beneath Uturuncu volcano, Bolivia: Insights from seismic tomography and deformation modeling

We have carried out a tomographic inversion for seismic velocity in the vicinity of Uturuncu volcano (Bolivia) based on a 33-station temporary seismic network deployment. We combine travel times from earthquakes in the shallow crust with those from earthquakes on the subducting Nazca plate to broadly constrain velocities throughout the crust using the LOTOS tomography algorithm. The reliability and resolution of the tomography is verified using a series of tests on real and synthetic data. The resulting three-dimensional distributions of Vp, Vs, and Vp/Vs reveal a large tooth-shaped anomaly rooted in the deep crust and stopping abruptly 6 km below the surface. This feature exhibits very high values of Vp/Vs (up to 2.0) extending to ~80 km depth. To explain the relationship of this anomaly with the surface uplift observed in interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data, we propose two scenarios. In the first, the feature is a pathway for liquid volatiles that convert to gas, due to decompression, at ~6 km depth, causing a volume increase. This expansion drives seismicity in the overlying crust. In the second model, this anomaly is a buoyant pulse of magma within the batholith, ascending due to gravitational instability. We propose a simplified numerical simulation to demonstrate how this second model generally supports many of the observations. We conclude that both of these scenarios might be valid and complement each other for the Uturuncu case. Based on joint analysis of the tomography results and available geochemical and petrological information, we have constructed a model of the Uturuncu magma system that illustrates the main stages of phase transitions and melting.

Author Correction: Earthquake nucleation and fault slip complexity in the lower crust of central Alaska

In the version of this Article originally published, the ‘Data availability’ section contained an incorrect DOI for data from the FLATS (XV) seismic network (https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/ZE_2015); the correct DOI is: https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/XV_2014. This has now been corrected in the online versions.