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Unusual signals recorded by ocean bottom seismometers in the flooded caldera of Deception Island volcano: volcanic gases or biological activity?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2013

Daniel C. Bowman  and
William S.D. Wilcock
Daniel C. Bowman*
Affiliation:
GZA GeoEnvironmental, 249 Vanderbilt Avenue, Norwood, MA 02062, USA Department of Geological Sciences, Box 3315, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
William S.D. Wilcock
Affiliation:
School of Oceanography, Box 357940, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
*
[email protected]
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Abstract

An ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) network was deployed for 1 month at Deception Island volcano, Antarctica, in early 2005. Although only two volcano-tectonic and three long-period events were observed, the three OBSs located > 2 km apart inside the caldera detected over 3900 events that could not be attributed to known volcanic or hydrothermal sources. These events are found on one instrument at a time and occur in three types. Type 1 events resemble impulsive signals from biological organisms while type 2 and type 3 events resemble long-period seismicity. The largest number of events was observed in a region of volcanic resurgence and hydrothermal venting. All three types occur together suggesting a common cause and they show evidence for a diurnal distribution. The events are most likely to be due to aquatic animals striking the sensors, but a geological source is also possible. In the first case, these signals indicate the presence of a biological community confined to the caldera. In the second case, they imply widespread hydrothermal activity in Port Foster. Future OBS experiments should bury the seismometers, include a hydrophone, deploy instruments side-by-side, or include a video camera to distinguish between biological and geological events.

Keywords

biological signaldegassinghydrothermal activityundersea seismic networkvolcanic seismology
Type
Earth Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 267 - 275
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013 

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