INVESTIGATING SCORIA CONE MORPHOLOGY VIA GPR IMAGING IN CRATER FLAT VOLCANIC FIELD

Scoria Cones are the most common type of volcano and can be found all over the world. They are typically not very explosive, presenting only as a local hazard. Occasionally, however, scoria cones will present with explosive eruptions and the hazard is no longer local. The explosivity of older cones, for which no ash fall blanket remains, can be difficult to determine from the surface expression of the cone edifice alone. Geophysical methods capable of peering beneath the surface, primarily Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), are here utilized to examine the range of eruptive processes evident at Crater Flat Volcanic Field, NV. GPR profiles were taken on the outer slopes of four distinct volcanic cones. Each profile started at or near the crater rim and descended radially outward toward the cone base using a 100 MHz GPR. This presentation will address the extent to which the underlying stratigraphy of these Pleistocene age cones can provide valuable insight into the underlying explosivity of the formative eruption even when the outer surface appears gullied and degraded.We are developing a new technique for determining the explosivity of older cones that can help to mitigate the eruption hazard posed by volcanic fields around the world by deepening our understanding of the formation processes not just of the newer cones but the older ones as well.