Ultra‐Long‐Range Hydroacoustic Observations of Submarine Volcanic Activity at Monowai, Kermadec Arc

D. Metz, A. B. Watts, I. Grevemeyer, Mel Rodgers, M. Paulatto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

<p> Monowai is an active submarine volcanic center in the Kermadec Arc, Southwest Pacific Ocean. During May 2011, it erupted over a period of 5&thinsp;days, with explosive activity directly linked to the generation of seismoacoustic <em> T </em> phases. We show, using cross&hyphen;correlation and time&hyphen;difference&hyphen;of&hyphen;arrival techniques, that the eruption is detected as far as Ascension Island, equatorial South Atlantic Ocean, where a bottom moored hydrophone array is operated as part of the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear&hyphen;Test&hyphen;Ban Treaty Organization. Hydroacoustic phases from the volcanic center must therefore have propagated through the Sound Fixing and Ranging channel in the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, a source&hyphen;receiver distance of ~15,800&thinsp;km. We believe this to be the furthest documented range of a naturally occurring underwater signal above 1&thinsp;Hz. Our findings, which are consistent with observations at regional broadband stations and long&hyphen;range, acoustic parabolic equation modeling, have implications for submarine volcano monitoring.</p>
Original languageAmerican English
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume43
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • T phase
  • Hydroacoustics
  • Monowai
  • CTBTO

Disciplines

  • Earth Sciences

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