Premium
Three‐dimensional velocity structure of the Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii
Author(s) -
Dawson P. B.,
Chouet B. A.,
Okubo P. G.,
Villaseñor A.,
Benz H. M.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl005379
Subject(s) - caldera , geology , volcano , seismology , impact crater , rift zone , inversion (geology) , rift , tectonics , astronomy , physics
High‐resolution velocity models (0.5 km resolution) of the Kilauea caldera region are obtained by the tomographic inversion of both P ‐ and S ‐wave arrival times. Data are from the permanent Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) seismic network, a broadband seismic network, and a temporary array of stations centered on the southern boundary of the caldera. A low‐velocity P ‐wave anomaly is imaged centered on the southeastern edge of the caldera, with a velocity contrast of about 10% and a volume of 27 km³. The V P /V S model mimics the spatial extent of the P‐wave anomaly, but is partitioned into two discrete anomalous volumes centered on the southern boundary of the caldera and on the upper east rift of the volcano. The corresponding Poisson's ratio in these zones is high (ν=0.25–0.32) which is consistent with a densely‐cracked, hot volume which may contain partial melt. The large‐scale features of the models are consistent with results obtained from an earlier, larger‐scale (2 km resolution) tomographic image of Kilauea Volcano based on HVO network data.