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Article
Ultra‐Long‐Range Hydroacoustic Observations of Submarine Volcanic Activity at Monowai, Kermadec Arc
Geophysical Research Letters
  • D. Metz, University of Oxford
  • A. B. Watts, University of Oxford
  • I. Grevemeyer, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel
  • Mel Rodgers, University of Oxford
  • M. Paulatto, Université Nice Sophia Antipolis
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2016
Keywords
  • T phase,
  • Hydroacoustics,
  • Monowai,
  • CTBTO
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL067259
Disciplines
Abstract

Monowai is an active submarine volcanic center in the Kermadec Arc, Southwest Pacific Ocean. During May 2011, it erupted over a period of 5 days, with explosive activity directly linked to the generation of seismoacoustic T phases. We show, using cross‐correlation and time‐difference‐of‐arrival techniques, that the eruption is detected as far as Ascension Island, equatorial South Atlantic Ocean, where a bottom moored hydrophone array is operated as part of the International Monitoring System of the Comprehensive Nuclear‐Test‐Ban Treaty Organization. Hydroacoustic phases from the volcanic center must therefore have propagated through the Sound Fixing and Ranging channel in the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, a source‐receiver distance of ~15,800 km. We believe this to be the furthest documented range of a naturally occurring underwater signal above 1 Hz. Our findings, which are consistent with observations at regional broadband stations and long‐range, acoustic parabolic equation modeling, have implications for submarine volcano monitoring.

Rights Information
Default Rights Statement
Citation / Publisher Attribution

Geophysical Research Letters, v. 43, issue 4, p. 1529-1536

©2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Citation Information
D. Metz, A. B. Watts, I. Grevemeyer, Mel Rodgers, et al.. "Ultra‐Long‐Range Hydroacoustic Observations of Submarine Volcanic Activity at Monowai, Kermadec Arc" Geophysical Research Letters Vol. 43 Iss. 4 (2016) p. 1529 - 1536
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mel-rodgers/17/