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Modeling Deformation at Marine Volcanoes: Interpretation and Monitoring Implications

Megan Campbell 1, Severine Furst1, Henriette Sudhaus2, Morelia Urlaub1

  • Affiliations: 1GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany 2Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Thursday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 166

  • Programme No: 2.2.30

  • Theme 2 > Session 2

Abstract

Marine volcanoes exhibit significant topographic variations, extending from deep underwater to high above sea level. Their submerged flanks create complex, asymmetric topographies that are often simplified as flat surfaces in deformation models, potentially leading to inaccurate assessments of deformation sources and hazards. Our study investigates the impact of complete marine volcano topography on deformation modeling by applying geomorphometric parameterization to quantify asymmetry and steepness. Building upon an existing analytical solution for triangular dislocations, we incorporate the full volcano structure---from its submarine base to its subaerial peak---and discretized, complex source geometries within a full-space modeling domain. Results show that models including complex topography differ significantly from flat-surface approximations, underestimating displacement magnitudes by at least 20--35% and misrepresenting their spatial distribution. Geomorphometric parameters provide a first-order estimate of these deviations. For island volcanoes, displacement fields are not limited to the landmass but extend into the submarine edifice, highlighting the importance of accounting for underwater topography as submarine monitoring technology advances. This approach enhances the understanding of volcanic deformation processes and offers tools to improve GNSS network design, ensuring more accurate monitoring and assessment of volcanic hazards.