Tracking eruptive phenomena by infrasound: May 13, 2008 eruption at Mt. Etna

Cannata, Andrea; Montalto, P.; Privitera, E.; Russo, G.; Gresta, S.

doi:10.1029/2008gl036738

Cited by 50 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…This volcano has experienced a variety of eruption styles and its volcanic activity may be roughly divided into two main types: effusive flank eruptions, mainly characterized by the opening vents or fractures to feed voluminous lava flows, and persistent explosive summit activity, including mostly violent Strombolian and phreatomagmatic explosions, lava fountaining, and persistent degassing with explosive episodes [Marchetti et al, 2009b;Cannata et al, 2009]. Due to its regular activity, Mount Etna is a unique source of repetitive signals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of wind and temperature profiles from ECMWF analysis on two hemispheres using volcanic infrasound

et al. 2014

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In this paper, we evaluate vertical wind and temperature profiles that are produced by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) atmospheric analysis. The evaluation is carried out on both hemispheres: we make use of stratospheric infrasound arrivals from Mount Etna (37°N) and Mount Yasur (22°S). The near‐continuous, high activity of both volcanoes permits the study of stratospheric propagation along well‐defined paths with a time resolution ranging from hours to multiple years. Infrasound observables are compared to theoretical estimates obtained from acoustic propagation modeling using the ECMWF analysis. While a first‐order agreement is found for both hemispheres, we report on significant discrepancies around some of the equinox periods and other intervals during which the atmosphere is in a state of transition and dynamical oscillations of the atmosphere dominate over the general circulation. We present an inversion study in which we make use of measured trace velocity estimates to estimate first‐order effective sound speed model updates in a Bayesian framework. Deviations from the a priori models around the stratopause up to 10% (≈ 30 m s−1) are estimated. Such updates are in line with the results from comparisons between ECMWF analysis and observations from lidar and microwave Doppler spectroradiometer facilities that were colocated during the course of the 2012–2013 Atmospheric dynamics Research and InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) measurement campaign.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of wind and temperature profiles from ECMWF analysis on two hemispheres using volcanic infrasound

et al. 2014

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“…In particular, strombolian activity produces excess pressures recorded within a few kilometers of a vent, such as at Stromboli (Ripepe and Marchetti, 2002), Pacaya (Dalton et al, 2010), Fuego (Lyons et al, 2010), Tungurahua (Fee et al, 2010) and Mt. Etna (Cannata et al, 2009). However, there are some drawbacks in using seismic or infrasound recordings separately to detect explosive activity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Etna activity (e.g. Cannata et al, 2009;Montalto et al, 2010;Cassisi et al, 2012). The window length, used to obtain the RMS, was equal to 1 and 10 min, depending on the considered time series duration: if 1-yrlong signal is considered, 10-min windows are used, while, if a few-day-long signal is analysed, then 1-min windows.…”

Section: Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Joint analysis of infrasound and seismic signals by cross wavelet transform: detection of Mt. Etna explosive activity

Cannata

Montalto

Patané

2013

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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The prompt detection of explosive volcanic activity is crucial since this kind of activity can release copious amounts of volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere, causing severe dangers to aviation. In this work, we show how the joint analysis of seismic and infrasonic data by wavelet transform coherence (WTC) can be useful to detect explosive activity, significantly enhancing its recognition that is normally done by video cameras and thermal sensors. Indeed, the efficiency of these sensors can be reduced (or inhibited) in the case of poor visibility due to clouds or gas plumes. In particular, we calculated the root mean square (RMS) of seismic and infrasonic signals recorded at Mt. Etna during 2011. This interval was characterised by several episodes of lava fountains, accompanied by lava effusion, and minor strombolian activities. WTC analysis showed significantly high values of coherence between seismic and infrasonic RMS during explosive activity, with infrasonic and seismic series in phase with each other, hence proving to be sensitive to both weak and strong explosive activity. The WTC capability of automatically detecting explosive activity was compared with the potential of detection methods based on fixed thresholds of seismic and infrasonic RMS. Finally, we also calculated the cross correlation function between seismic and infrasonic signals, which showed that the wave types causing such seismo-acoustic relationship are mainly incident seismic and infrasonic waves, likely with a common source

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“…Etna are generally composed of discrete infrasonic events characterised by durations of \1 s to over 30 s, impulsive compressive onsets, and peaked spectra with most of the energy in the 0.3-6.0 Hz frequency range CANNATA et al 2013;SCIOTTO et al 2013). Every so often infrasonic tremors lasting from minutes to days are recorded during paroxysmal activities and degassing processes (CANNATA et al 2009aSCIOTTO et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has been shown how distinct craters generate infrasound signals with different spectral features and duration (CANNATA et al 2009a(CANNATA et al , b, 2011aFig. 2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into Mt. Etna’s Shallow Plumbing System from the Analysis of Infrasound Signals, August 2007–December 2009

Spina

Cannata

Privitera

et al. 2014

Pure Appl. Geophys.

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Previous studies performed on Mt. Etna on short and discontinuous time intervals indicate the North East Crater (NEC) as the most active source of infrasound. The source mechanism of NEC infrasound events was modeled as a double resonance. This lead to infer the connection between the NEC and both the southeast crater (SEC) and the eruptive fissure (EF), that opened at the beginning of the 2008-2009 eruption. Nevertheless, there are still several open questions that need to be addressed. For instance, the steadiness of NEC event features should be studied, as well as the orderliness of spectral changes of NEC events time-related to eruptive activity of other vents. The investigation of such topics is strongly enhanced by the possibility of analysing infrasound signals during year-long time periods. With this aim about 40,000 infrasound events, recorded at Mt. Etna from August 2007 to December 2009 were analysed by using spectral and location techniques. It was noted in particular that the NEC events featured periods with very steady waveforms and spectral characteristics lasting from days to months with slow or sudden variations. The most important eruptive episodes occurring at the SEC or the EF were accompanied by significant spectral changes in NEC events. In light of such systematic behaviour the connection between the NEC and the SEC/EF plumbing systems was not considered temporary but rather stable even during a relatively long time interval (2006)(2007)(2008)(2009). Moreover, study of NEC event spectral features and their changes over multiple years supports the double resonance source model. Such a model, together with the inferred connections between NEC and SEC/EF feeding systems, implies that level fluctuations of a magma column inside the NEC conduit correspond to magmastatic pressure decrease/increase inside the main plumbing system. These findings open up new and interesting possibilities for monitoring magma pressure changes inside the Mt. Etna plumbing system.

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Tracking eruptive phenomena by infrasound: May 13, 2008 eruption at Mt. Etna

Cited by 50 publications

References 14 publications

Evaluation of wind and temperature profiles from ECMWF analysis on two hemispheres using volcanic infrasound

Evaluation of wind and temperature profiles from ECMWF analysis on two hemispheres using volcanic infrasound

Joint analysis of infrasound and seismic signals by cross wavelet transform: detection of Mt. Etna explosive activity

Insights into Mt. Etna’s Shallow Plumbing System from the Analysis of Infrasound Signals, August 2007–December 2009

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