Earthquakes Record Cycles of Opening and Closing in the Enhanced Seismic Catalog of the 2008 Okmok Volcano, Alaska, Eruption

Seismicity during explosive volcanic eruptions remains challenging to observe through the eruptive noise, leaving first-order questions unanswered. How do earthquake rates change as eruptions progress, and what is their relationship to the opening and closing of the eruptive vent? To address these questions for the Okmok Volcano 2008 explosive eruption, Volcano Explosivity Index 4, we utilized modern detection methods to enhance the existing earthquake catalog. Our enhanced catalog detected significantly more earthquakes than traditional methods. We located, relocated, determined magnitudes and classified all events within this catalog. Our analysis reveals distinct behaviors for long-period (LP) and volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes, providing insights into the opening and closing cycle. LP earthquakes occur as bursts beneath the eruptive vent and do not coincide in time with the plumes, indicating their relationship to an eruptive process that occurs at a high pressurization state, that is, partially closed conduit. In contrast, VT earthquakes maintain a steadier rate over a broader region, do not track the caldera deflation and have a larger b-value during the eruption than before or after. The closing sequence is marked by a burst of LPs followed by small VTs south of the volcano. The opening sequence differs as only VTs extend to depth and migrate within minutes of the eruption onset. Our high-resolution catalog offers valuable insights, demonstrating that volcanic conduits can transition between partially closed (clogged) and open (cracked) states during an eruption. Utilizing modern earthquake processing techniques enables clearer understanding of eruptions and holds promise for studying other volcanic events.

Automated summary

By analyzing the seismic activity during the explosive eruption of Okmok Volcano in 2008, different behaviors of long-period (LP) and volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes were identified, revealing the variation in the opening and closing of volcanic conduits. Utilizing modern earthquake processing techniques enables clearer understanding of volcanic eruptions and holds promise for studying other volcanic events.