Recent multi-disciplinary experiments at Soufrière Hills volcano on Montserrat comprise broadband seismic recordings, cospec,tilt and deformation measurements. Low-frequency volcanic earthquakes play a key role in the understanding of the internal dynamics of the volcanic system. They are generated by conduit resonances and occur in swarms that always precede larger dome collapses and explosions. Their occurrence correlates very well with the tilting of the volcano flanks indicating the pressurisation of the volcanic plumbing system.

We will study systematic changes in the seismic data and how this correlates with dome growth, volume change, the occurrence of pyroclastic flows, as well as tilt.  We have also written an automated event classification algorithm, which allows classification of the seismic events and an output of seismic parameters.  Comparison of these parameters and the investigation of the gliding lines will help us to investigate the widely made assumption that long-period events represent the charging phase of the volcanic system.

The project comprises two main objectives:

(i) Understanding the link between tilt and the occurrence of earthquake swarms.
(ii)Understanding the actual source or trigger mechanism of these events.
 

References:

Neuberg, J., Baptie, B., Luckett, R. and R. Stewart, 1998, Results from a broad-band seismic network on Montserrat, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 19, 3661-3664.

Voight, B., Hoblitt, R. P., Clarke, A. B,. Lockhart, A. B., Miller, A. D., Lynch, L., and J. McMahon, 1998, Remarkable cyclic ground deformation monitored in real-time on Montserrat, and its use in eruption forecasting, Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 18:3405-3408.
 

Website of the Volcano Seismology Group at Leeds: http://earth.leeds.ac.uk/vsgleeds/