Quantifying mass flows at Mt. Cleveland, Alaska between 2001 and 2020 using satellite photogrammetry

Measuring eruption volume provides constraints on the magma supply rate and plumbing systems and therefore is a critical component for monitoring volcanoes. We use ArcticDEM-a large collection of time-dependent digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from satellite stereo-photogrammetry - to construct a first-of-its-kind measurement of the volumes of recent mass flows at Mount Cleveland, Alaska. We quantify the volume of the products of the 2001 eruption (the largest in the past half-century) as (54.8 +/- 0.5) x 10(6) m(3) covering a total area of 5.09 km(2). The total volume of material loss at the summit crater is (0.67 +/- 0.02) x 10(6) m(3), which is likely caused by later explosions and collapses of the shallow magma chamber. The total eruptive volume between 2017 and 2020 is (0.086 +/- 0.002) x 10(6) m(3). Elevation changes associated with lahars are variable. On the upper northern slopes of the volcano, the lahar channels were almost exclusively erosive, suggesting that lahars originating at the summit eroded and entrained loose materials high on the cone. In general, lahar deposits were thickest near their toes, with some reaching similar to 20 m thickness.

Automated summary

Measuring eruption volume is crucial for monitoring volcanoes, and this study used ArcticDEM technology to quantify the recent eruption volumes at Mount Cleveland in Alaska. The results also suggest that the material loss at the volcano's summit crater may be caused by explosions and collapses of the magma chamber, and the elevation changes associated with lahars are highly variable.