In a recent “Volcano Watch” article, we learned about a remote sensing technique known as InSAR. This method of using satellite radar signals to detect changes to the surface of the earth has been very beneficial for monitoring of active volcanoes, especially in remote locations where it is difficult to install ground based geophysical sensors.
Geoscience is full of tools to help us investigate the past. Using geochemistry and geochronology, for instance, we can reconstruct ancient magma chambers from their eruptive products even millennia after they formed. There is one important tool, however, that can sometimes be overlooked: oral history.
Vocano Watch: May 3, 2023, marked the fifth anniversary of the start of Kīlauea’s historic 2018 eruption that resulted in extensive lava flows from the East Rift Zone and major collapses of the summit caldera floor. Since that 2018 activity, Kīlauea has experienced nearly constant change with distinct episodes of calm, unrest, eruptions and everything in between.
Where is magma stored beneath the surface of Kīlauea and how is it transported to the places where eruptions occur? Scientists have hypothesized the shape and size of Kīlauea’s summit magma storage system for the last century, and now have an unparalleled opportunity to develop a far more detailed picture than was possible before.
GeoSPACE uses a planetary science mission framework that encourages online and on-the-ground students to work together to explore volcanic landscapes and to develop questions about the geology that they can then answer.