TOPOGRAPHIC AND THERMAL INVESTIGATIONS OF ACTIVE PAHOEHOE LAVA FLOWS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANETARY VOLCANIC PROCESSES FROM TERRESTRIAL ANALOGUE STUDIES

Terrestrial analogue studies, coupled with the acquisition of high-resolution datasets for planetary surfaces, provide critical insights for interpreting geologic processes in different planetary environments. New capabilities for field analyses of active lava flow emplacement provide important constraints from both the process-oriented and surface morphologic perspectives. In February and March, 2012, we collected high-resolution spatial and high-precision thermal datasets for advancing tube-fed pahoehoe flows in the Puu Oo flow field, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. We utilized a ground-based, full-waveform scanning LiDAR system and FLIR SC645 thermal infrared camera, supplemented by high-definition video footage and time-lapse photography, to acquire simultaneous topographic (mm-scale) and thermal (with 0.05°C precision) measurements at high temporal frequency (repeat time of 30 seconds). These datasets are being used to create flow lobe maps at regular intervals during flow emplacement that reveal patterns in flow behavior and provide quantitative documentation of flow emplacement processes. Pahoehoe lava flows exhibit morphologically complex surfaces due to spatial and temporal variations during flow development. The compound flow surfaces typical of pahoehoe flows result from the formation of multiple overlapping and interfingering lobes and interconnected networks of pahoehoe toes, as well as inflation of the flow surface at a variety of scales. Our investigation is designed to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize pahoehoe flow surfaces and link surface morphology to observed emplacement processes, providing a robust foundation for interpretation of volcanic processes on other planets.