Transcript Title

Volcano
Monitoring
Plans for the
Northern
Mariana
Islands
USGS & CNMI
Emergency
Management
Office
Presented by Tom Murray,
Project Chief, Northern
Mariana Islands Volcano
Monitoring and Hazards
Mitigation Project
US Geological Survey,
Anchorage Alaska
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
The USGS and the Emergency Management
Office (EMO) have been working together on
NMI volcanoes since 1981
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Domestic volcanoes are a USGS responsibility
 Under the Stafford Act (Public Law 93-288), the USGS has the
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responsibility to issue timely warnings of potential geologic
disasters to the affected populace and civil authorities.
The interest has been long-term, but more in response mode
than a long-term consistent effort.
Ash hazard to aviation, both local and trans-Pacific
Downwind impacts to Saipan, Guam
Volcanic hazard to nearby population, fishing
Potential tsunami hazard (albeit small)
Good monitoring is good science. Good
science is good monitoring.

Research is still fundamental to a successful
observatory
 Foundation of any successful eruption response or hazard
assessment is a solid understanding of the volcanic
processes in play, including deep in the subduction zone.
 Major difference is that monitoring has a real time
factor
 Looking for changes through time
 Timeliness in response to unrest
 Timeliness in analysis
I am hoping to find opportunities for scientific
and logistical collaboration that aids both
USGS and MARGINS in achieving their goals.
Current Instrumentation
all data radio-telemetered to CNMI Emergency
Management Office in Saipan
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Anatahan
 1 short-period, 3-component analog station
 2 short-period vertical analog stations with pressure sensors
Sarigan
 1 short-period, 3-component analog station
Saipan
 1 Broadband (MARGINS)
 1 short-period 3-component analog station
 SO2 sensor
 Earthworm data acquisition system
 DSL to internet
The following is only the plan
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Funding not in place
Must go slow
Everything that follows is contingent on the
availability of funding
What is needed: A Northern Mariana Islands
Volcano Monitoring System
• Real-time geophysical monitoring networks for highest threat
volcanoes
• Agrigan, Alamagan, Anatahan, Pagan, Asuncion, Farallon
de Pajaros, Guguan, Sarigan
• Modern digital seismic instrumentation
• Deformation monitoring (tiltmeters, GPS, tide gauges, InSAR)
• Up-to-date hazard assessments
As outlined in the National Volcano Early Warning System (NVEWS)
document USGS Open-File Report 2005-1164
Future plans - Big Picture
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Install telemetered geophysical monitoring
networks on
 Farallon de Pajaros (4 short-period)
 Maug (4 short-period)
 Asuncion (3 short-period, 1 broadband, 1 GPS)
 Agrigan (4 short-period)
 Pagan (4 short-period, 1 broadband, 1 GPS)
 Alamagan (3 short-period, 1 broadband, 1 GPS)
 Guguan (4 short-period)
 Sarigan (4 short-period)
 Anatahan (4 short-period)
 Saipan (1 broadband, 1 GPS)
Communications
 C-BAND VSAT uplinks
 Asuncion
 Pagan
 Alamagan
 C-BAND VSAT downlink
 EMO in Saipan
 DSL to general internet
 EMO
 General internet to AVO, CVO, HVO
Seismic network
Satellite uplink
and GPS
Add it all up
 34 Short period
 4 Broadband
 4 CGPS
Agrigan
Alamagan
Data availability
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Seismic data
 IRIS facility in Seattle
 Winston waver servers
 Annual catalog
GPS data
 UNAVCO
Current plan for 2008-2009
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2008
 Beef up receive facility at EMO in Saipan
 Install satellite down-link at EMO
 Install satellite uplink also at EMO for testing
 Possibly finish field geologic mapping at Pagan
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2009
 Move uplink to Pagan and install network there
 4 short-period, 1 broadband, 1 GPS
Again - this has been only the plan
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Funding not in place
Must go slow
Everything is contingent on the availability of
funding