Sustained Co‐Eruptive Increase in Seismic Velocity Below Great Sitkin Volcano Due To Magma Extrusion

Abstract

Abstract Volcanic eruptions carry essential information on the dynamics of volcanic systems. Studies have documented variable eruption styles and eruptive surface deformation. However, co‐eruptive subsurface structural changes remain poorly understood. Here we characterize the seismic velocity changes from July 2019 to July 2023 at Great Sitkin Volcano in the central Aleutian volcanic arc, using single‐station ambient noise interferometry at five three‐component seismic stations. Coincident with the lava effusion since late July 2021, about two months after the explosive eruption on 26 May 2021, we observe a sustained velocity increase, most prominently to the northwest of the caldera. We attribute this velocity increase to the structural changes with magma extrusion, with the spatial variation controlled by the geometry of the magma system or the property of shallow volcaniclastics. Our findings offer insights into understanding co‐eruptive structural modifications at active volcanoes.

Keywords

• Great Sitkin
• seismic velocity change
• magma extrusion
• volcanic eruption
• volcano monitoring
• Aleutian volcanoes