Seismic Studies
Advanced Seismology Studies
Jean Battaglia is a Post Doctoral trainee who came to HVO from the Reunion Volcano Observatory in the Indian Ocean. He has been working to refine a technique for analyzing seismic signals in Hawaii using spectral analysis of the seismic signals received at the various seismometers in HVO's network. His spectral plots consist of a matrix with 1440 lines (the number of minutes in 24 hours) along one axis and the frequency spectrum along the other. Under default background conditions, the entire spectrum is plotted in blue; but when an earthquake occurs, or harmonic tremor is detected, the frequency channels will "light up" in the plot with warmer colors reflecting higher amplitudes in discrete frequency bands of the spectrum. The results enable the seismic team to visualize, and analyze, the changing spectra of earthquakes or harmonic tremor.
Jean
Battaglia analyzing earthquakes.University of Hawaii at Hilo graduates David Whilldin and Jason Meyer have been reinstalling a number of broadband seismometers around the summit of Kilauea. These highly specialized three-component instruments are able to detect waves with amplitudes ranging from 50 Hertz to 60 seconds. In contrast, conventional seismometers pick up a much smaller band, typically from 50 Hertz to 1 second. The broadband instruments will allow scientists to collect much more detailed information about the magma transportation system beneath and adjacent to Halemaumau.