This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. The published version of this Preprint is available: https://doi.org/10.30909/vol.07.02.733748. This is version 2 of this Preprint.

A shake and a surge: Assessing the possibility of an earthquake-triggered eruption at Steamboat Geyser
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Abstract
When and why earthquakes trigger volcano and geyser eruptions remains unclear. In September 2022, Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone, USA erupted 8.25 hours after a local M3.9 earthquake—an improbable coincidence based on the geyser’s eruption intervals. We leverage monitoring data from the surrounding geyser basin to determine if the earthquake triggered this eruption. We calculate a peak ground velocity of 1.2 cm s−1, which is the largest ground motion in the area since Steamboat reactivated in March 2018 and exceeds a threshold associated with past earthquake-triggered geyser eruptions in Yellowstone. Despite no changes in other surface hydrothermal activity, we found abrupt, short-lived shifts in ambient seismic noise amplitude and relative seismic velocity in narrow frequency bands related to the subsurface hydrothermal system. Our analysis indicates that Steamboat’s eruption was likely earthquake-triggered. The hours-long delay suggests that dynamic strains from seismic waves altered subsurface permeability and flow which enabled eruption.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31223/X58M37
Subjects
Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Volcanology
Keywords
geyser, Hydrothermal, eruption triggering, dynamic stress
Dates
Published: 2024-01-03 16:03
Last Updated: 2024-10-17 16:47
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