Glacier-volcano interactions in the north crater of Mt. Wrangell, Alaska

Annals of Glaciology
By: , and 

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Abstract

Glaciological and related observations from 1961 to 2005 at the summit of Mt Wrangell (62.008 N, 144.028W; 4317 m a.s.l.), a massive glacier-covered shield volcano in south-central Alaska, show marked changes that appear to have been initiated by the Great Alaska Earthquake (MW = 9.2) of 27 March 1964. The 4 x 6 km diameter, ice-filled Summit Caldera with several post-caldera craters on its rim, comprises the summit region where annual snow accumulation is 1–2 m of water equivalent and the mean annual temperature, measured 10 m below the snow surface, is –20°C. Precision surveying, aerial photogrammetry and measurements of temperature and snow accumulation were used to measure the loss of glacier ice equivalent to about 0.03 km3 of water from the North Crater in a decade. Glacier calorimetry was used to calculate the associated heat flux, which varied within the range 20–140W m–2; total heat flow was in the range 20–100 MW. Seismicity data from the crater’s rim show two distinct responses to large earthquakes at time scales from minutes to months. Chemistry of water and gas from fumaroles indicates a shallow magma heat source and seismicity data are consistent with this interpretation.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Glacier-volcano interactions in the north crater of Mt. Wrangell, Alaska
Series title Annals of Glaciology
DOI 10.3189/172756407782282462
Volume 45
Year Published 2007
Language English
Contributing office(s) Volcano Hazards Program
Description 10 p.
First page 48
Last page 57
Conference Title International Symposium on Earth and Planetary Ice-Volcano Interactions
Conference Location Reykjavík, Iceland
Conference Date June 19-23, 2006
Country United States
State Alaska
Other Geospatial Mt Wrangell
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
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