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Abstract Seismicity at restless volcanoes commonly features a variety of signal types reflecting both volcanotectonic and fluid-driven source processes. However, traditional catalogs of seismicity are often incomplete, especially concerning events with emergent onsets such as those driven by the dynamics of magmatic and hydrothermal fluids. The detection of all discrete events and continuous seismic tremors, regardless of the underlying source processes, would therefore improve the ability of monitoring agencies to forecast eruptions and mitigate their associated hazards. We present a workflow for generalized detection of seismic events based on the network covariance matrix (Seydoux et al., 2016). Our contributions enable the method to simultaneously detect continuous and short-duration (<∼10 s) events, provide information about the frequency content of the signals, and to refine the initial detection times by an order of magnitude (from window lengths of 75 to 7.5 s). We test the workflow on a 15-month record of seismicity with 23 stations at Mammoth Mountain, California (July 2012–October 2013) and detect 62% of long-period events and 94% of volcanotectonic events in the existing Northern California Earthquake Data Center catalog. In addition, ∼3000 events are not included in the catalog, and thousands of tremor signals are found. The method is suitable for near-real-time analysis of continuous waveforms and can provide a valuable supplement to existing algorithms to improve the completeness of catalogs used for monitoring volcanoes.more » « lessFree, publicly-accessible full text available May 28, 2025
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Abstract Geysers are rare geologic features that intermittently discharge liquid water and steam driven by heating and decompression boiling. The cause of variability in eruptive styles and the associated seismic signals are not well understood. Data collected from five broadband seismometers at Lone Star Geyser, Yellowstone National Park are used to determine the properties, location, and temporal patterns of hydrothermal tremor. The tremor is harmonic at some stages of the eruption cycle and is caused by near‐periodic repetition of discrete seismic events. Using the polarization of ground motion, we identify the location of tremor sources throughout several eruption cycles. During preplay episodes (smaller eruptions preceding the more vigorous major eruption), tremor occurs at depths of 7–10 m and is laterally offset from the geyser's cone by ~5 m. At the onset of the main eruption, tremor sources migrate laterally and become shallower. As the eruption progresses, tremor sources migrate along the same path but in the opposite direction, ending where preplay tremor originates. The upward and then downward migration of tremor sources during eruptions are consistent with warming of the conduit followed by evacuation of water during the main eruption. We identify systematic relations among the two types of preplays, discharge, and the main eruption. A point‐source moment tensor fit to low‐frequency waveforms of an individual tremor event using half‐space velocity models indicates averageVS ≳ 0.8 km/s, source depths ~4–20 m, and moment tensors with primarily positive isotropic and compensated linear vector dipole moments.more » « less
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SUMMARY Yasur volcano, Vanuatu is a continuously active open-vent basaltic-andesite stratocone with persistent and long-lived eruptive activity. We present results from a seismo-acoustic field experiment at Yasur, providing locally dense broad-band seismic and infrasonic network coverage from 2016 July 27 to August 3. We corroborate our seismo-acoustic observations with coincident video data from cameras deployed at the crater and on an unoccupied aircraft system (UAS). The waveforms contain a profusion of signals reflecting Yasur’s rapidly occurring and persistent explosive activity. The typical infrasonic signature of Yasur explosions is a classic short-duration and often asymmetric explosion waveform characterized by a sharp compressive onset and wideband frequency content. The dominant seismic signals are numerous repetitive very-long-period (VLP) signals with periods of ∼2–10 s. The VLP seismic events are ‘high-rate’, reoccurring near-continuously throughout the data set with short interevent times (∼20–60 s). We observe variability in the synchronization of seismic VLP and acoustic sources. Explosion events clearly delineated by infrasonic waveforms are underlain by seismic VLPs. However, strong seismic VLPs also occur with only a weak infrasonic expression. Multiplet analysis of the seismic VLPs reveals a systematic progression in the seismo-acoustic source decoupling. The same dominant seismic VLP multiplet occurs with and without surficial explosions and infrasound, and these transitions occur over a timescale of a few days during our field campaign. We subsequently employ template matching, stacking, and full-waveform inversion to image the source mechanism of the dominant VLP multiplet. Inversion of the dominant VLP multiplet stack points to a composite source consisting of either a dual-crack (plus forces) or pipe-crack (plus forces) mechanism. The derived mechanisms correspond to a point-source directly beneath the summit vents with centroid depths in the range ∼900–1000 m below topography. All mechanisms suggest a northeast trending crack dipping relatively shallowly to the northwest and indicate a VLP source centroid and mechanism controlled by a stable structural geologic feature beneath Yasur. We interpret the results in the framework of gas slug ascent through the conduit responsible for Yasur explosions. The VLP mechanism and timing with infrasound (when present) are explained by a shallow-buffered top-down model in which slug ascent is relatively aseismic until reaching the base of a shallow section. Slug disruption in this shallow zone triggers a pressure disturbance that propagates downward and couples at the conduit base (VLP centroid). If the shallow section is open, an explosion propagates to the surface, producing infrasound. In the case of (the same multiplet) VLPs occurring without surficial explosions and weak or no infrasound, the decoupling of the dominant VLPs at ∼900–1000 m depth from surficial explosions and infrasound strongly indicates buffering of the terminal slug ascent. This buffering could be achieved by a variety of conditions at or directly beneath the vents, such as a high-viscosity layer of crystal-rich magma, a debris cap from backfill, a foam layer, or a combination of these. The dominant VLP at Yasur captured by our experiment has a source depth and mechanism separated from surface processes and is stable over time.more » « less