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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 32, L15304, doi:10.1029/2005GL022847, 2005

Poor scaling between elastic energy release and eruption intensity at Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador

Jeffrey B. Johnson

Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, USA


Mario C. Ruiz

Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Instituto Geofisico, Escuela Politecnica Nacional (IG-EPN), Quito, Ecuador


Jonathan M. Lees

Department of Geological Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA


Patricio Ramon

Instituto Geofisico, Escuela Politecnica Nacional (IG-EPN), Quito, Ecuador


Abstract

An important objective in volcanology is the quantification of eruption intensity through the study of elastic energy propagated into the atmosphere and ground. To better understand the relation between elastic wave radiation and eruptive activity we deployed seismic, acoustic, and video instrumentation at the active Tungurahua Volcano (Ecuador) in Nov.–Dec. of 2004. Our data show that plume expansion scales very poorly with both seismic and acoustic trace energy and only the initial amplitude of the acoustic signal is perhaps correlated with initial plume rise speeds. In general, the eventual size of Tungurahua eruption plumes does not appear to be controlled by elevated material accelerations within the conduit, which are primary influences on elastic energy radiation. This result has vital implications for volcano observatories, which are interested in using seismic and acoustic trace amplitudes as proxies for eruption magnitudes.

Received 27 February 2005; accepted 28 June 2005; published 4 August 2005.

Index Terms: 8414 Volcanology: Eruption mechanisms and flow emplacement; 8419 Volcanology: Volcano monitoring (7280); 8428 Volcanology: Explosive volcanism; 8485 Volcanology: Remote sensing of volcanoes; 8494 Volcanology: Instruments and techniques.

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Citation: Johnson, J. B., M. C. Ruiz, J. M. Lees, and P. Ramon (2005), Poor scaling between elastic energy release and eruption intensity at Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L15304, doi:10.1029/2005GL022847.