Hydroacoustic Signals Originating from Marine Volcanic Activity at Kadovar Island, Papua New Guinea, Recorded by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty International Monitoring System

Abstract

AbstractHydroacoustic signals originating from marine volcanic activity at Kadovar Island (Papua New Guinea), recorded by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) International Monitoring System (IMS) hydroacoustic (HA) station HA11 Wake Island (USA), are examined herein. Episodes of high volcanic activity were identified on two occasions, separated by a period of 1 month. The events studied pertain to an initial eruption series during a period between January and February 2018. Based on local visual observations, the Kadovar volcano began to erupt at the summit and then created a new vent spot near the coast. This series of events also included the collapse of a lava dome. Direction-of-arrival estimates for the hydroacoustic signals detected at HA11 were computed using a cross-correlation technique, which allowed for the discrimination between hydroacoustic signals originating from the Kadovar volcanic activity and numerous other hydroacoustic signals attributed to seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean. The Kadovar-related seismic signals could not be identified by regional IMS seismic stations, suggesting a submarine origin of these events. On the other hand, hydroacoustic signals originating from the Kadovar volcanic activity were identified by the seismometer at Manus Island, which is located between Kadovar and HA11. The study suggests that a series of explosive bursts followed by an unusual rumble and a broadband signal plus rumble may constrain the time of the lava dome collapse event at Kadovar Island to 00:30 UTC, 00:33 UTC, and 00:46 UTC on 09 February 2018. Given the compatibility of this observation with the tsunami generation reported by eyewitnesses on the nearby island of Blup Blup, the authors interpret this particular hydroacoustic signal as being a remote observation of this tsunamigenic event. The objective of this study was to assess the potential added value of IMS hydroacoustic data for remote surveillance of geohazards in otherwise sparsely monitored areas.