Attenuation and scattering tomography of the deep plumbing system of Mount St. Helens
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Abstract
We present a combined 3-D P wave attenuation, 2-D S coda attenuation, and 3-D S coda scattering tomography model of fluid pathways, feeding systems, and sediments below Mount St. Helens (MSH) volcano between depths of 0 and 18 km. High-scattering and high-attenuation shallow anomalies are indicative of magma and fluid-rich zones within and below the volcanic edifice down to 6 km depth, where a high-scattering body outlines the top of deeper aseismic velocity anomalies. Both the volcanic edifice and these structures induce a combination of strong scattering and attenuation on any seismic wavefield, particularly those recorded on the northern and eastern flanks of the volcanic cone. North of the cone between depths of 0 and 10 km, a low-velocity, high-scattering, and high-attenuation north-south trending trough is attributed to thick piles of Tertiary marine sediments within the St. Helens Seismic Zone. A laterally extended 3-D scattering contrast at depths of 10 to 14 km is related to the boundary between upper and lower crust and caused in our interpretation by the large-scale interaction of the Siletz terrane with the Cascade arc crust. This contrast presents a low-scattering, 4–6 km2 “hole” under the northeastern flank of the volcano. We infer that this section represents the main path of magma ascent from depths greater than 6 km at MSH, with a small north-east shift in the lower plumbing system of the volcano. We conclude that combinations of different nonstandard tomographic methods, leading toward full-waveform tomography, represent the future of seismic volcano imaging.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Attenuation and scattering tomography of the deep plumbing system of Mount St. Helens |
| Series title | Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth |
| DOI | 10.1002/2014JB011372 |
| Volume | 119 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Publication Date | November 07, 2014 |
| Year Published | 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Geophysical Union |
| Publisher location | Richmond, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Volcano Hazards Program, Volcano Science Center |
| Description | 16 p. |
| First page | 8223 |
| Last page | 8238 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Skamania |
| Other Geospatial | Mount St. Helens |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |