Deformation Studies
Deformation Monitoring Projects
Francine Coloma spent several years at HVO with the geodetic group, assisting in the logistics and permitting for the installation of the expanding geodetic network deployed on Maunaloa, Kīlauea, and Hualalai. She organized and performed field expeditions to sites identified for permanent GPS stations and assisted with the installation, testing, troubleshooting, maintenance, and upkeep of the permanent stations. Coloma also assisted with island-wide annual leveling campaigns. In the office, she ensured that field stations remained on-line and functional, and compiled and validated the data as it was received. Coloma also developed data processing procedures to speed and simplify processing of the incoming data streams. In 2000, HVO designated Coloma to be the on-site manager for installing three borehole strainmeters or dilatometers on Mauna Loa volcano at a depth of about 300 feet, which required a specialized mobile drill rig. Another by-product of the drilling was the core samples removed from the hole.
Marking core from the dilatometer project at Hokukano Ranch in Kona.
CSAV's Leica GPS unit near Halemaʻumaʻu.
Integrated Data Archive
In 2002, Ralph Krug, a Post Doctoral trainee from Germany, was hired to develop a software platform that would allow a diverse array of numeric data to be reduced and manipulated in a single environment. At the time of Krug’s appointment, there was no convenient way to present disparate data sets on a single time axis. He built and fine-tuned a massive archival plus real-time data base that allows HVO scientists to call up information on seismic amplitude, tilt, GPS, strain, and sulphur dioxide emissions, all on a common time base. Scientists using the system can click on a section of a map or select a station by name, and can combine different types of data and view it on graphs, thus obtaining a view of the big picture. Krug made significant progress on the software development that was then handed off to Peter and Daniel Cervelli, who produced the VALVE program that is now in use by HVO and other US Volcano Observatories.
Ralf Krug created an integrated data platform that was the predecessor of VALVE.
Ricky Herd collects GPS data at the summit of Kilauea.
From 2004–2006, a Post Doctoral appointment was made to Dr. Richard Herd, formerly with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, who assisted with the design of the new field stations and assisted with installation of the communications system for telemetering the data from the field stations to HVO. Dr. Herd also contributed to the development of software specifications for a new generation of GPS processing software that was purchased through the CSAV Cooperative Agreement.
CSAV also provided three continuous GPS units for deployment on Maunaloa as part of the expanded geodetic network that was installed in a collaborative effort between HVO and UH Mānoa researchers.
Maintaining the VALVE Computer Network
Loren Antolik collects data in the field, at a skylight above a lava tube, as part of his duties with the deformation team.
Back in the office, Loren Antolik carefully tracks and improves the VALVE computer network.