USGS Water Resources: National Research Program (NRP) - hydrologic studies of heat and mass transport

The presence and circulation of fluids profoundly affect volcanic processes and landforms. Eruption styles and cycles are influenced by volatiles dissolved in magma and by pressure- temperature-fluid saturation conditions in the surrounding rock. The presence of magma in turn influences ground-water pressures, temperatures, and chemistry. Advective heat and mass transport effect and locally dominate the thermal and chemical regimes of volcanos. Linkages between fluid flow and mechanical deformation are suggested by observations that subaerial volcanoes deform in response to changes in water- table elevation and that microseismicity can be related to boiling. The general objective is to characterize selected volcanogenic hydrothermal systems by ascertaining probable recharge and discharge areas; determining modes and quantities of recharge and discharge; interpreting geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data in terms of the size, shape, and hydraulic characteristics of hydrothermal systems; and using analytical and numerical modeling techniques to develop quantitative conceptual models. Research questions include (1) What are the modes of heat and mass transfer from magma to the shallow subsurface? (2) What are the pressure, temperature, and fluid- saturation conditions between magma and the land surface? (3) What controls the permeability of volcanoes? How does it vary in space and time? What role do temporal variations in permeability play in the evolution of volcanogenic hydrothermal systems? (4) How well-coupled are various fluid flow, transport, and mechanical deformation processes? Do relatively simple models that simulate a subset of these processes provide useful insight into transport processes? (5) How can we evaluate hydrothermal systems in composite cones dominated near the surface by cold- water recharge?

Also see project home page, Dynamics of volcano-hydrothermal systems, and for additional information, including data sets, Hydrothermal discharge in the western United States. Other useful links are the List of publications based on HYDROTHERM simulations and geyser-frequency data from Upper Geyser Basin in PDF format or in Microsoft Excel format for data supporting Rojstazcer and others, GRL, 2003.

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999- 2008

Hutnak, M., Hurwitz, S., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Hsieh, P.A., 2009 , Numerical models of caldera deformation: Effects of multi-phase and multi-component hydrothermal fluid flow: Journal of Geophysical Research , v. 114, B04411, doi:10.1029/2008JB006151. (on-line abstract or on-line article in pdf format, 977 KB, published by the American Geophysical Union, not subject to U.S. copyright.)

Ingebritsen, S.E., Worden, R., and Yardley, B.W.D., 2009, Editorial: Geofluids, v. 9, p. 1.

Ingebritsen, S.E., 2009, Book review: Tectonic Faults - Agents of Change on a Dynamic Earth: Geofluids, v. 9, p. 75-76. (on-line review in pdf format, 35 KB, a US Government work in the public domain)

Hurtwitz, S., Kumar, A., Taylor, R., and Heasler, H., 2008, Climate-induced variations of geyser periodicity in Yellowstone National Park, USA: Geology, v. 36, p. 451-454. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Ingebritsen, S.E., Hurwitz, S., and Brodsky, E.E., 2008, Note from the Hubbert Quorum: Geofluids, v. 8, p. 1-2.

Lowenstern, J.B., and Hurwitz, S., 2008, Monitoring a supervolcano in repose: Heat and volatile flux at the Yellowstone Caldera: Elements, v. 4, no. 1, p. 35-40, doi: 10.2113/GSELEMENTS.4.1.35. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Rojstaczer, S.A., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Hayba, D.O., 2008, Permeability of continental orogenic belts influenced by internal and external forcing: Geofluids, v. 8, p. 128-139. (on-line abstract or on-line article in pdf format, 651KB, Blackwell Publishing, no claim to original U.S. Government works)

Werner, C., Hurwitz, S., Evans, W.C., Lowenstern, J.B., Bergfeld, D., Heasler, H., Jaworowski, C., and Hunt, A., 2008, Volatile emissions and gas geochemistry of Hot Spring Basin, Yellowstone National Park, USA: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 178, p. 751-762, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2008.09.016. (o n-line abstract of journal article)

Christiansen, L.B., Hurwitz, S., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2007, Annual modulation of seismicity along the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, CA: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 34, L04306, doi:10.1029/2006GL028634 (on-line abstract or on-line journal letter in pdf format, 194 kb, published 2007 by American Geophysical Union, not subject to U.S. copyright)

Farrar, C.D., Evans, W.C., Venezky, D.Y., Hurwitz, S., and Oliver, L.K., 2007, Boiling water at Hot Creek -- The dangerous and dynamic thermal springs in California's Long Valley Caldera: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3045. (on-line abstract or on-line fact sheet in pdf format, 5 MB)

Hurwitz, S., Christiansen, L.B., and Hsieh, P.A., 2007, Hydrothermal fluid flow and deformation in large calderas: Inferences from numerical simulations: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, B02206, doi:10.1029/2006JB004689. (on-line abstract or on-line journal article in pdf format, 703 kb, published 2007 by American Geophysical Union, not subject to U.S. copyright)

Hurwitz, S., Eagan, S., Heasler, H., and Lowenstern, J.B., 2007, River chemistry and solute flux in Yellowstone National Park: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 278. (on-line publication and data)

Hurwitz, S., Evans, W.C., Lowenstern, J.B., Bergfeld, D., Werner, C., Heasler, H., and Jaworowski, C., 2007, Extensive hydrothermal rock alteration in a low pH, steam-heated environment: Hot Springs Basin, Yellowstone National Park, in Bullen, T.D., and Wang, Y., eds., Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction, Kunming, China, 31 July - 5 August, 2007: London, Taylor and Francis, p. 81-85.

Hurwitz, S., Lowenstern, J.B., and Heasler, H., 2007, Spatial and temporal geochemical trends in the hydrothermal system of Yellowstone National Park: Inferences from river solute fluxes: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 162, p. 149-171. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Abedini, A.A., Hurwitz, S., and Evans, W.C., 2006, USGS-NoGaDat -- A global dataset of noble gas concentrations and their isotopic ratios in volcanic systems: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 202. (on-line report).

Ingebritsen, S.E., Sanford, W.E., and Neuzil, C.E., 2006, Groundwater in Geologic Processes, 2nd edition: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 536 p. (on-line book information)

Mariner, R.H., Venezky, D.Y., and Hurwitz, S., 2006, Chemical and isotopic database of water and gas from hydrothermal systems with an emphasis for the western United States: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 169. (on-line data report)

Christiansen, L.B., Hurwitz, S., Saar, M.A., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Hsieh, P.A., 2005, Seasonal seismicity at western United States volcanic centers: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, no. 2, p. 307-321. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Hogeweg, N., Keith, T.E.C., Colvard, E.M., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2005, Ongoing hydrothermal heat loss from the 1912 ash-flow sheet, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Alaska: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 143, no. 4, p. 279-291. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Hurwitz, S., Mariner, R.H., Fehn, U., and Snyder, G.T., 2005, Systematics of halogen elements and their radioisotopes in thermal springs of the Cascade Range, north-central Oregon, USA: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 235, p. 700-714.(on-line abstract of journal article)

Kipp, K.L., Hsieh, P.A., Hayba, D.O., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2005, HYDROTHERM: A simulator of two-phase ground-water flow and heat transport: International Ground Water Modeling Center Newsletter, v. 23, no. 3, p. 3.

Evans, W.C., van Soest, M.C., Mariner, R.H., Hurwitz, S., Ingebritsen, S.E., Wicks, C.W., Jr., and Schmidt, M.E., 2004, Magmatic intrusion west of Three Sisters, central Oregon, USA: The perspective from spring chemistry: Geology, v. 32, p. 69-72. (on-line abstract)

Galloway, D.L., Coplin, L.S., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2003, Effects of land subsidence in the greater Houston area, in Agthe, D.E., Billings, R.B., and Buras, N., eds. Managing Urban Water Supply: Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, p. 187-203.

Hurwitz, S., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2003, Good news or bad?: New study of temperature inversions in NSF deep geothermal well at Kilauea volcano: Geothermal Resources Council Bulletin, v. 32, p. 111-115.

Hurwitz, S., Goff, F., Janik, C.J., Evans, W.C., Counce, D.A., Sorey, M.L., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2003, Mixing of magmatic volatiles with groundwater and interaction with basalt on the summit of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, no. B1, 2028, doi:10.1029/2001JB001594. (on-line abstract)

Hurwitz, S., and Johnston, M.J.S., 2003, Groundwater level changes in a deep well in response to a magma intrusion event on Kilauea volcano, Hawai'i: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 30, no. 22, 2173, doi:10.1029/2003GL018676. (on-line abstract)

Hurwitz, S., Kipp, K.L., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Reid, M.E., 2003, Groundwater flow, heat transport, and water table position within volcanic edifices: Implications for volcanic processes in the Cascade Range: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 108, no. B12, 2557, doi:10.1029/2003JB002565. (on-line abstract)

Rojstaczer, S.A., Galloway, D.L., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Rubin, D.M., 2003, Variability in geyser eruptive timing and its causes: Yellowstone National Park: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 30, no. 18, 1953, doi:10.1029/2003GL017853. (on-line abstract. Also see Geyser-frequency data from Upper Geyser Basin in PDF format or in Microsoft Excel format for supporting data)

Ingebritsen, S.E., and Manning, C.M., 2003, Implications of crustal permeability for fluid movement between terrestrial fluid reservoirs: Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 78-79, p. 1-6.

Evans, W.C., Mariner, R.H., Ingebritsen, S.E., Kennedy, B.M., van Soest, M.C., and Huebner, M.A., 2002, Report of hydrologic investigations in the Three Sisters area of central Oregon, summer 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4061. (on-line publication)

Hurwitz, S., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Sorey, M.L., 2002, Episodic thermal perturbations associated with groundwater flow: An example from Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 107, no. B11, 2297, doi:10.1029/2001JB001654. (on-line abstracts)

Hurwitz, S., Garfunkel, Z., Ben-Gai, Y., Reznikov, M., Rotstein, Y., and Gvirtzman, H., 2002, The tectonic framework of a complex pull-apart basin: Seismic reflection observations in the Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea transform: Tectonophysics, v. 359, p. 289-306. (on-line abstract)

Ingebritsen, S.E., 2002, Report from the 2001 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer: The Hydrogeologist, Issue no. 56, p. 7, 15. (on-line article)

Ingebritsen, S.E., and Manning, C.E., 2002, Diffuse fluid flux through orogenic belts: Implications for the world ocean: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, v. 99, p. 9,113-9,116. (on-line abstract or on-line article in html format or download in pdf format)

Wicks, C.W., Jr., Dzurisin, D., Ingebritsen, S.E., Thatcher, W., Lu, Z., and Iverson, J., 2002, Magmatic activity beneath the quiescent Three Sisters volcanic center, central Oregon Cascade Range, Oregon: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 29, no. 7, 1122, doi:10.1029/2001GL014205. (on-line abstract)

Hoffman, J., Zebker, H.A., Galloway, D.L., and Amelong, F., 2001, Seasonal subsidence and rebound in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, observed by synthetic aperture radar interferometry: Water Resources Research, v. 37, p. 1,551-1,566.

Ingebritsen, S.E., Galloway, D.L., Colvard, L.M., Sorey, M.L., and Mariner, R.H., 2001, Time-variation of hydrothermal discharge at selected sites in the western United States: Implications for monitoring: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, v. 111, p. 1-23. (on-line abstract)

Rogie, J.D., Kerrick, D.M., Sorey, M.L., Chiodini, G., and Galloway, D.L., 2001, Dynamics of carbon dioxide emission at Mammoth Mountain, California: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 188, p. 535-541. (on-line abstract)

Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2000, Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 165-00 (originally printed as 87-00). (on-line fact sheet)

Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2000, Measuring land subsidence from space: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 051-00. (on-line fact sheet)

Ingebritsen, S.E., Ikehara, M.E., Galloway, D.L., and Jones, D.R., 2000, Delta subsidence in California -- The sinking heart of the state: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 005-00. (on-line fact sheet in pdf format)

Amelung, Falk, Galloway, D.L., Bell, J.W., Zebker, H.A., and Laczniak, R.J., 1999, Sensing the ups and downs of Las Vegas: InSAR reveals structural control of land subsidence and aquifer-system deformation: Geology, v. 27, p. 483-486. (on-line abstract)

Coplin, L.S., and Galloway, D.L., 1999, Houston-Galveston, Texas -- Managing coastal subsidence in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 35-48. (on-line pdf file)

Galloway, D.L., Ingebritsen, S.E., Riley, F.S., Ikehara, M.E., and Carpenter, M.C., 1999, The role of science, in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 141-158. (on-line pdf file)

Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., 1999, Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, 175 p. (on-line abstract or to obtain pdf file)

Galloway, D.L., and Riley, F.S., 1999, San Joaquin Valley, California -- Largest human alteration of the Earth's surface, in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 23-34. (on-line pdf file)

Ingebritsen, S.E., and Ikehara, M.E., 1999, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta -- The sinking heart of the state, in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 83-94. (on-line pdf file)

Ingebritsen, S.E., and Jones, D.R., 1999, Santa Clara Valley, California -- A case of arrested subsidence, in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 15-22. (on-line pdf file)

Ingebritsen, S.E., and Manning, C.E., 1999, Geological implications of a permeability-depth curve for the continental crust: Geology, v. 27, p. 1,107-1,110. (on-line abstract)

Ingebritsen, S.E., McVoy, Christopher, Glaz, B., and Park, Winifred, 1999, Florida Everglades -- Subsidence threatens agriculture and complicates ecosystem restoration, in Galloway, D.L., Jones, D.R., and Ingebritsen, S.E., eds., Land subsidence in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1182, p. 95-106. (on-line pdf file)

Manning, C.E., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 1999, Permeability of the continental crust: The implications of geothermal data and metamorphic systems: Reviews of Geophysics, v. 37, p. 127-150. (on-line abstract)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFOMATION ON THIS PROJECT, CONTACT
Steven E. Ingebritsen
U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd, MS 439, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Email: seingebr@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-4422

Shaul Hurwitz
U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd, MS 439, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Email: shaulh@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-4441

Hydrologic Studies of Heat and Mass Transport

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999- 2008