Multiple inflation and deflation events at Kenyan volcanoes, East African Rift

Research Article| November 01, 2009 Multiple inflation and deflation events at Kenyan volcanoes, East African Rift J. Biggs; J. Biggs 1Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar E.Y. Anthony; E.Y. Anthony 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968-0555, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C.J. Ebinger C.J. Ebinger 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information J. Biggs 1Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33149, USA E.Y. Anthony 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79968-0555, USA C.J. Ebinger 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 11 Feb 2009 Revision Received: 09 Jun 2009 Accepted: 12 Jun 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 © 2009 Geological Society of America Geology (2009) 37 (11): 979–982. https://doi.org/10.1130/G30133A.1 Article history Received: 11 Feb 2009 Revision Received: 09 Jun 2009 Accepted: 12 Jun 2009 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation J. Biggs, E.Y. Anthony, C.J. Ebinger; Multiple inflation and deflation events at Kenyan volcanoes, East African Rift. Geology 2009;; 37 (11): 979–982. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G30133A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The presence or absence of magma exerts a fundamental control on the distribution of strain in continental rift zones, yet the time scales of magma intrusion remain unconstrained. Using more than a decade of measurements from interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), we detected geodetic activity at four of the eleven central rift volcanoes in the Kenyan sector of the East African Rift. Subsidence of 2–5 cm occurred at Suswa and Menengai over the period 1997–2000, ~9 cm of uplift was recorded at Longonot in 2004–2006, and ~21 cm of uplift occurred at Paka during 2006–2007. The deformation is episodic, and no deformation was observed at these volcanoes during other time periods. Preceding the inflation at Paka, we observed transient uplift and subsidence of a second, nearby source, likely associated with flow through a complex plumbing system. The best-fitting source models for each episode include inflation or deflation of a horizontal penny-shaped crack at a depth of 2–5 km. The episodic nature of the activity, its lack of correlation with seasons, and the preferred source geometry are all consistent with activity in the volatile-rich cap to a crystal-rich magma chamber beneath each of the four volcanoes. The presence of active magmatic systems beneath more than 40% of the volcanoes, and the 2007–2008 explosive eruptions at nearby Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, have implications for models of continental rifting, caldera volcanoes, geothermal resources, and volcanic and seismic hazard in rift zones. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.