| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 8, 2015 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | May 3, 2016 |
| Award Number: | 1520875 |
| Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Dennis Geist
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2015 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2018 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $219,999.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $219,999.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2016 = $82,546.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1 UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ALBUQUERQUE NM US 87131-0001 (505)277-4186 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
NM US 87131-0001 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Geophysics |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001617DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Subduction zone magmatic systems, such as in the Cascades Arc of the northwestern U.S., underlie potential natural hazards near major cities and are considered the primary agents of continental crust production. The significance of these systems on both human and geological time scales merits a greater understanding of how they function. Seismic imaging of the plumbing structure of magmatic systems and detection of earthquakes can illuminate active and formerly active melt pathways and reservoirs. However, the complexity of seismic wave fields in volcanic regions challenges efforts to map the 3-D structure of magma plumbing systems as well as efforts to detect, locate, and determine the mechanisms of the diverse range of earthquakes that occur there. The challenges largely reflect observational limitations. Typical seismograph networks for observing volcanoes such as Mt. St. Helens are composed of ~10 long-term seismographs. This project will analyze data from a short-term, two week, deployment of 900 seismographs within 12 km of the summit crater of Mt. St. Helens. The dense seismic data will be used to identify the fine scale spatial and temporal distribution of micro-seismicity beneath Mt. St. Helens and determine how that seismicity is linked to the 3-D prevalence of fluids and cooled intrusions in the crust and uppermost mantle.
The project aims to resolve the 3-D magma plumbing beneath Mt. St. Helens with scattered wave imaging and tomography of the uppermost 10-15 km. A major component of the project will be testing and advancing methods for automated detection of mirco-seismicity using continuous data from large numbers of sensors, each with potentially high noise levels that prevent detection with single-station methods. Deeper melting and deformation processes will also be investigated through reflection imaging of the sub-arc Moho and investigation of the prevalence of deep long period earthquakes in the lower crust. Moho imaging will exploit both controlled sources and abundant local seismicity. Data products will be made publicly available, and advancing hybrid active/passive source 3-D studies with dense seismograph arrays is likely to be valuable for the seismology community in the near future. The project will support the training of a graduate student, an undergraduate intern, and a postdoctoral fellow.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The project investigated micro-earthquake activity at Mount St. Helens and crustal structure beneath the volcano and surrounding area. Most funding was dedicated to supporting a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher. Research supported by the project formed the basis of a female seismology student’s MS thesis and her first-author publication in a peer-reviewed volcanology journal. That manuscript presents new evidence for low-frequency earthquakes between ~5 km depth and the base of the volcanic edifice, which corresponds to the depth range of an inferred volcanic conduit connecting the shallow magma reservoir to summit crater at Mount St. Helens. The graduate student elected to enter the PhD program at University of New Mexico (UNM) following this project. The postdoctoral researcher’s efforts under the project resulted in two first authors publications, one on automated detection and location of micro-earthquakes and the other on variations in reflectivity of the crust mantle boundary in the area surrounding Mount St. Helens. His research provided new constraints on deep crustal thermal structure and the dimensions of the seismically active upper crustal conduit beneath Mount St. Helens. Following the project, the postdoctoral researcher received a career track research and teaching position. Project research activities and results were incorporated into graduate and undergraduate teaching at UNM. The graduate student and principal investigator (PI) participated annually in the central New Mexico Research Challenge event for middle/high school students. The PI presented research results from the project as a GeoPRISMS Distinguished Lecturer visiting a mix of small undergraduate institutions and major research universities during 2016-2018, including some public talks for non-research audiences. The project also provided an undergraduate thesis research opportunity for a student from Eckerd College who began as a summer IRIS intern and continued research advised by the PI during his senior year leading to a successful honors thesis.
Last Modified: 10/27/2018
Modified by: Brandon Schmandt
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