Abstract
Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala exhibited high systemic stability between 2008 and 2015 based on characteristic seismic events captured by temporary seismic monitoring networks and consistent rates of SO2 degassing determined from remote sensing. Repeating very-long-period (VLP, 60–10 s) seismic events at Fuego persisted for at least 8 years during the ongoing eruptive episode which began in 2002. Fuego manifests VLP seismicity in many different varieties. We observe continued examples of VLP event styles described in previous studies, although the boundaries between events which were categorized based on vent of emission and waveform shape are less well defined during 2012, 2014, and 2015. We suggest that all these events are part of a continuum of VLP activity with magnitudes, waveform shape, and vent of emission governed by small changes in the magma supply rate. The VLP events indicate pressurization within the shallow conduit prior to different types of explosions. We use these signals to inform an updated model of shallow conduit dynamics controlling explosive events from the years spanning at least 2008–2015. The long lifespans of these signals imply a remarkable level of stability in the conduit geometry through various styles of eruptive activity.
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Data availability
Seismic data are available through the IRIS Data Management Center (network codes for 2008, 2009, and 2012 field campaigns are YB, XT, and XJ, respectively, and YA for 2014 and 2015) and are retrievable at http://ds.iris.edu website.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Eddy Sanchez, GC, Almilcar Calderas, and Edgar Barrios of INSIVUMEH and OVFUEGO for institutional support, lodging, and field contacts. Jake Anderson, Luke Bowman, Lloyd Carothers, Rüdiger Escobar Wolf, Anthony Lamur, John Lyons, Armando Pineda, Lauren Schaefer, Cara Shonsey, Josh Richardson, and James Robinson aided in instrument deployment, maintenance, and collection. Juan Martinez and the rest of the porters from La Soledad, Chimaltenango, carried most of our food, water, and shelter for the field deployment. DISETUR and the PNC from Escuintla provided logistical support and physical protection, respectively. Sylvie Vergniolle, Ailsa Naismith, and one anonymous reviewer provided valuable feedback through the revision process and helped increase the quality of this manuscript.
Funding
Funding for this work was provided by the GMES department of Michigan Technological University and grants from the National Science Foundation (#1053794 and #0530109). SAC acknowledges funding from the NASA Earth Science Division under the Aura Science Team (grant 80NSSC20K0983). The seismic instruments were provided by the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) through the PASSCAL Instrument Center at New Mexico Tech. The facilities of the IRIS Consortium are supported by the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement EAR-1261681 and the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration. The facilities of IRIS Data Services and specifically the IRIS Data Management Center were used for access to waveforms, related metadata, and/or derived products used in this study. IRIS Data Services are funded through the Seismological Facilities for the Advancement of Geoscience and EarthScope Proposal of the National Science Foundation under Cooperative Agreement EAR‐1261681.
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GW and KB contributed to the conception and design of this work. KB wrote the first draft of the manuscript and performed seismic data processing. GW supervised all work, advised KB on data processing methods, and provided revisions for the manuscript. SC processed and analyzed all SO2 data and contributed text concerning this data. GC facilitated access to Guatemalan field sites and provided RSAM data. All authors contributed to discussions about the conduit model, as well as read, revised, and approved the submitted manuscript.
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This paper constitutes part of a topical collection: Open-vent volcanoes
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Brill, K.A., Waite, G.P., Carn, S.A. et al. Long-term stability of conduit dynamics at Fuego volcano, Guatemala, 2008–2015. Bull Volcanol 84, 37 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-022-01540-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-022-01540-0