Newberry volcano (Oregon): earthquake swarm unusual, but not alarming
Sun, 14 Apr 2013, 11:08
11:08 AM | BY: T
Newberry earthquakes, 2011 - 2013 Map showing earthquakes located within the Newberry caldera from 2011 - 2013. Earthquakes from April 08-12, 2013, are colored orange or red (for April 12 events) (map: USGS)
"Between 8-12 April, five earthquakes were located within or along the margins of the Newberry caldera by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN, www.pnsn.org). The first two occurred at 04:19 & 04:20 PDT on 04/08 and were followed over the next 20 minutes by eight smaller (and therefore unlocatable) earthquakes.
"Three days later at 5:01 PDT a "low-frequency event", so-called because it lacks higher-frequency waves that are commonly observed in regular earthquakes, occurred at a depth of ~8 km. Finally on 04/12 two additional earthquakes occurred at 02:28 and 04:06 PDT. The largest of these five events was a M 1.2. These five events appear as orange or red (two most recent) circles in the below map-view plot.
"Although these five events are nothing to get excited about, they are noteworthy because only six other earthquakes have been located within or along the margins of the Newberry caldera since the Newberry seismic network was expanded from one to nine seismic stations in the summer of 2011 (none of these events would have been detected prior to 2011).
"In addition, the 04/11 event is the first low-frequency event ever recorded in the Newberry area. Low-frequency events are not unusual at volcanoes, and when observed are commonly thought to reflect movement of fluid (water, gas, or other) through cracks. Given that there are active hot springs within the caldera, the occasional occurrence of such events should not be surprising.
"An unusual feature of this low-frequency event is its depth (8 km). Since the 1980s, such "deep low-frequency events" have been seen intermittently at Mount Baker (31), Glacier Peak (9), Mount Rainier (9), and Mount St. Helens (9). At these other volcanoes the deep low-frequency events occur as part of background seismicity and have not been associated with eruptions or unrest at the surface (for more information about these type of events in the Cascades, see Nichols et al. (2011)**). Although intriguing from a volcanological perspective, these events are again nothing to get excited about.
** Nichols, M. L., S. D. Malone, S. C. Moran, W. A. Thelen, and J. E. Vidale (2011), Deep long-period earthquakes beneath Washington and Oregon volcanoes, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 200(3-4), 116-128.
- All news about: Newberry volcano
- Information about: Newberry volcano
---
Links / Sources:
Links / Sources:
- Earthquakes at Newberry, April 08-12 (USGS, CVO)
Previous news
Sun, 14 Apr 2013, 10:44
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): Activity has remained more or less unchanged. Explosions, sometimes strong continue from several vents,and small amounts of viscous lava overspills the rims of the NE crater. ... read all
Sat, 13 Apr 2013, 17:04
Etna (Sicily, Italy): Following yesterday's paroxysm, it seems that a new effusive vent has opened at the SE base of the New SE crater. ... read all
Fri, 12 Apr 2013, 16:44
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): Activity remains elevated. Lava continues to overspill from the lips of the NE crater, showing that the magma column stands high inside the conduit. Frequent strombolian explosions are reaching heights of 2-300 m and the tremor signal is strong again today. ... read all
Thu, 11 Apr 2013, 17:04
Stromboli (Eolian Islands, Italy): Yesterday evening's lava flow has once again beeen very short-lived. Activity (effusion rate) sharply dropped late in the evening and today, only very small amounts of lava are still overspilling from the NE crater rim. Tremor and rockfall signals are much weaker as well. ... read all
Wed, 10 Apr 2013, 16:02
Etna (Sicily, Italy): Strombolian explosions and relatively strong ash emissions from the New SE crater have continued throughout yesterday and the night, and seem to be gradually becoming more intense. ... read all
More on VolcanoDiscovery

"Thank you very much for the formidable trip!": Read what our clients have said about us and our tours!

Latest quakes at Katla volcano: One of Iceland's most active and dangerous volcanoes is showing signs of unrest and statistically due for a new eruption. Earthquakes could give a clue.

Volcano-Photo.com: Fine art prints, gifts and other photo products from a selection of our volcano photos. Check out the new website volcano-photo.com!

Exploring the unknown: We sometimes invite you to "test" new itineraries or destinations with us. Such trips are a reduced cost and require a higher degree of flexibility, but often offer a great deal of adventure.