International Mount Erebus eruption mechanism study in 1988-1989

Abstract

A program to continuously monitor the seismic activity of Mount Erebus (77.5°S, 167°E, 3794m) in Antarctica and to identify the mechanism of its eruption has been continued since January 1987 as an international cooperation between New Zealand and Japan, named IMEEMS (International Mount Erebus Eruption Mechanism Study). A TV camcra for monitoring explosions from the lava lake in the summit crater was installed at the crater rim of Mount Erebus. The video signals were transmitted to Scott Base of New Zealand by radio-telemetry and the exact time of eruptions was recorded using the same time code of the seismic network. A Japanese scientist participating in the IMEEMS visited Scott Base in December 1988 and conducted a series of observations of seismic and video recordings. The volcanic activities of Mount Erebus in December 1988 were nearly in the same situation for the last few seasons.