Collaborative Research: Continuing a Unique Time-Series of Volcanic Inflation at Axial Seamount

Axial Volcano, a large submarine volcano sitting on the Juan de Fuca spreading ridge, 250 miles off the Oregon coast, is one of the three sites of a major NSF investment in ocean observing. Due to its association with an important and unique hydrothermal vent system and its propensity for erupting on what appears to be a decadal time scale, Axial has also been the site of a 15 year NSF/NOAA time-series study of submarine volcanic activity. Axial is also the first and only site where active volcanic inflation has been documented on the seafloor and used to successfully forecast the timing of the next eruption. During a routine visit to the volcano in July of 2011, it was discovered that Axial had once again erupted and spewed lava flows more than 2 kilometers wide and many kilometers long across the seafloor, causing the floor of the caldera to subside by more than 2 meters. This research supports the collection of geophysical and geodetic measurements on the volcanic edifice to measure the rate at which magma refills the emptied magma chamber inside the volcano. Innovative undersea surveying methods, using a combination of newly established benchmarks and bottom pressure recorders will be used to monitor the long-term vertical deformation of the volcano. Results of this work extend the present time-series and allow us to refine and test models of both the eruption cycle behavior and of submarine volcano shallow magma dynamics and rheology. It will also help to allow us to assess how predictably the volcano behaves over several eruption cycles. Insights from the project will have applications for in both undersea technological advances as well as improving our understanding of the behavior of mid-ocean ridge magmatic systems and undersea volcanic hazards. Broader impacts of the work include the development of new techniques that build infrastructure for science and developing a better understanding of submarine volcanic hazards.