Abstract
Decades of cruise-based exploration have provided excellent snapshots of the structure of mid-ocean ridges and have revealed that accretion is a mixture of steady-state and quantum events. Observatory-type studies are now needed to quantify the temporal evolution of these systems. A multi-disciplinary seafloor observatory site is currently being set up at the Lucky Strike volcano, in the axial valley of the slow spreading Mid-Atlantic ridge as a part of the MoMAR (monitoring of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge) initiative. The aim of this observatory is to better understand the dynamics of the volcano and the hydrothermal vents hosted at its summit as well as their plumbing systems. In August 2006, the GRAVILUCK cruise initiated an experiment to monitor the deformation of Lucky Strike volcano. A geodetic network was installed, and seafloor pressure, gravity and magnetic data were collected. In this paper, we present the method used to monitor volcanic deformation, which involves measuring relative depth difference between points within a seafloor geodesy network. We show that, taking into account oceanographic variability and measurement noise, the network should be able to detect vertical deformations of the order of 1 cm.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ammann J, Ballu V (2007) Mesures automatiques en fond de mer Atelier Experimentation et Instrumentation, IFREMER/INSU
Ammann J, Ballu V, Diament M, Deplus C, Pot O (2004) Instrumentation en géodésie fond de mer Atelier Experimentation et Instrumentation, IFREMER/INSU
Ballu V, Diament M, Briole P, Ruegg J-C (2003) 1985–1999 gravity field variations across the Asal Rift: insights on vertical movements and mass transfer EPSL 208:41–49
Bird P (2003) An updated digital model of plate boundaries G3 4:1027. doi:10.1029/2001GC000252
Bonvalot S, Remy D, Deplus C, Diament M, Gabalda G (2008) Insights on the March 1998 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise volcano (La Réunion) from microgravity monitoring J Geophys Res (in press)
Chadwell CD, Hildebrand JA, Spiess FN, L MJ, Normark WR, Reiss CA (1999) No spreading across the southern Juan de Fuca ridge axial cleft during 1994–1996. Geophys Res Lett 26: 2525–2528
Chadwell CD, Spiess FN (2008) Plate motion at the ridge-transform boundary of the south Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge from GPS-Acoustic data. J Geophys Res (in press)
Chadwick WW Jr, Nooner SL, Zumberge MA, Embley R, Fox CG (2006) Vertical deformation monitoring at Axial Seamount since its 1998 eruption using deep-sea pressure sensors. J Volc Geoth Res 150: 313–327
Dziak R, Smith D, Bohnenstiehl D, Fox C, Desbruyerest D, Matsumoto H, Tolstoy M, Fornari D (2004) Evidence of a recent magma dike intrusion at the slow-spreading Lucky Strike segment, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. J Geophys Res 109:B12102, p 15. doi:10.1029/2004JB003141
Fox C (1993) Five years of ground deformation monitoring on axial seamount using a bottom pressure recorder Geophys. Res Lett 20: 1859–1862
Fox C (1999) In situ ground deformation measurements from the summit of Axial Volcano during the 1998 volcanic episode. Geophys Res Lett 26: 3437–3440
Fox CG (1990) Evidence of active ground deformation on the Mid-Ocean Ridge : axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, April-June 1988. J Geophys Res 95: 12813–12822
Freedman DA (2005) Statiscal models: theory and practice, New York
Fujimoto H, Kanazawa T Murakami H (1997) Seafloor acoustic ranging and the effect of temperature variation. In: Segawa J, Fujimoto H Okubo S (eds) Gravity, Geoid, and Marine Geodesy, Int. Assoc. of Geodesy Symp
Gagnon K, Chadwell CD, Norabuena E (2005) Measuring the onset of locking in the Peru–Chile trench with GPS and acoustic measurements. Nature 434: 205–208
Humphris SE, Fornari DJ, Scheirer DS, German CR, Parson LM (2002) Geotectonic setting of hydrothermal activity on the summit of Lucky Strike Seamount (37°17′N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) G3 3:24. doi:10.1029/2001GC000284
Jousset P, Diament M, Bonvalot S, Van Rhuymbeck M (1995) Performance of two Scintrex CH3M instruments at the fourth International comparison of absolute gravimeters. Metrologia 32: 231–244
Jousset P, Dwipa S, Beauducel F, Duquesnoy T, Diament M (2000) Temporal gravity at Merapi during the 1993–1995 crisis: an insight into the dynamical behaviour of volcanoes. J Volc Geoth Res 100: 289–320
Lyard F, Lefevre F, Letellier T, Francis O (2006) Modelling the global ocean tides: modern insights from FES2004. Ocean Dynamics 56: 394–415
Moore DS, McCabe GP, Duckworth WM, Sclove SL (2003) The practice of business statistics: using data for decisions
Obana K, Katao H, Ando M (2000) Seafloor positioning system with GPS-acoustic link for crustal dynamics observation—a preliminary result from experiments in the sea–Earth Planets. Space 52: 415–423
Ondreas H, Fouquet Y, Voisset M, (1997) Detailed study of three contiguous segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, south of the Azores (37°N to 38°30′N), using acoustic imaging coupled with submersible observations. Mar Geophys Res 19: 231–255
Pairaud I, Lyard F, Auclair F, Marsaleix P (2008) Dynamics of the semi-diurnal and quarter-diurnal internal tides in the Bay of Biscay. Part 1: Barotropic tides Continental Shelf Research. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2008.03.004
Phillips KA, Chadwell CD, Hildebrand JA (2008) Vertical deformation measurements on the submerged south flank of Kilauea volcano, Hawai’i reveal seafloor motion associated with volcanic collapse. J Geophys Res 113: 15 doi:10.1029/2007JB005124
Rubin AM, Pollard AD (1988) Dike-induced faulting in rift zones of Iceland and Afar. Geology 16: 413–417
Ruegg JC, Kasser M (1987) Deformation across the Asal-Ghoubbet rift, Djibouti, uplift and crustal extension 1979–1986. Geophys Res Lett 14: 745–748
Rymer H, Tryggvason E (1993) Gravity and elevation changes at Askja. Iceland Bull Volcanol 55: 362–371
Sasagawa GS, Crawford W, Eiken O, Nooner SL, Stenvold T, Zumberge MA (2003) A new sea-floor gravimeter. Geophysics 68: 544–553
Singh SC, Crawford WC, Carton H, Seher T, Combier V, Cannat M, Canales JP, Dusunur D, Escartin J, Miranda JM (2006) Discovery of a magma chamber and faults beneath a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal field. Nature 442: 1029–1032
Spiess FN (1985) Suboceanic geodetic measurements. IEEE Trans Geosci Remote Sens 23: 502–510
Spiess FN, Chadwell CD, Hildebrand JA, Young LE, Purcell GH, Dragert H (1998) Precise GPS/Acoustic positioning of seafloor reference points for tectonic studies. Phys Earth Plan Int 108: 101–112
Stenvold T, Eiken O, Zumberge MA, Sasagawa GS, Nooner SL (2006) High-precision relative depth and subsidence mapping from seafloor water-pressure measurements. Soc Petr Eng J 380–389
Sturkell E, Einarsson P, Sigmundsson F, Geirsson H, Olafsson H, Petersen R, E dZ-D, T LA, Sacks IS, Stefansson R (2006) Volcano geodesy and magma dynamics in Iceland. J Volc Geoth Res 150: 14–34
Thurnherr AM, Reverdin G, Bouruet-Aubertot P, St. Laurent L, Vangriesheim A, Ballu V (2008) Hydrography and flow in the Lucky Strike Segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. J Mar Res (accepted)
Tolstoy M, Constable S, Orcutt J, Staudigel H, Wyatt FK, Anderson G (1998) Short and long baseline tiltmeter measurements on axial seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge. Phys Earth Plan Int 108: 129–141
Wessel P, Smith WHF (1998) New, improved version of generic mapping tools released. EOS 79: 579
Zumberge MA (1997) Precise optical path length measurement through an optical fiber: application to seafloor strain monitoring Ocean. Engineering 24: 531–542
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ballu, V., Ammann, J., Pot, O. et al. A seafloor experiment to monitor vertical deformation at the Lucky Strike volcano, Mid-Atlantic Ridge. J Geod 83, 147–159 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-008-0248-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-008-0248-3