Long term compliance observations of the evolving magma chamber at Axial Volcano

Axial Volcano is a large submarine volcano located offshore Cascadia. The volcano is currently inflating, and scientists predict that it will erupt in the next few years. This project will deploy seafloor instruments for two years on Axial Volcano. Data from these instruments will be used to monitor the magma chamber before, during, and after the eruption. The results will help in understanding melt migration and eruptions at volcanos. The project will test novel instrumentation and provide research opportunities for a postdoctoral scientist. This project will deploy three new, high resolution seafloor compliance instruments at Axial Volcano for two years. The sites lie over the central magma chamber region that has sourced previous eruptions and span the imaged underlying deep magma conduit. Compliance observations can track shear velocity changes within the magma chamber and constrain changes in melt. The experiment will also facilitate observations of uplift and seismicity by expanding the spatial coverage of the Ocean Observatories Initiative array. The instruments will test large current shields in deep water for reducing tilt induced noise and will include both a differential pressure gauge and an absolute pressure gauge. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.