The muographic imaging of volcanoes relies on the measured transmittance of the atmospheric muon flux through the target. An important bias affecting the result comes from background contamination mimicking a higher transmittance. The MU‐RAY and TOMUVOL collaborations measured independently in 2013 the atmospheric muon flux transmitted through the Puy de Dôme volcano using their early prototype detectors, based on plastic scintillators and on Glass Resistive Plate Chambers, respectively. These detectors had three (MU‐RAY) or four (TOMUVOL) detection layers of 1 m2 each, tens (MU‐RAY) or hundreds (TOMUVOL) of nanosecond time resolution, a few millimeter position resolution, an energy threshold of few hundreds MeV, and no particle identification capabilities. The prototypes were deployed about 1.3 km away from the summit, where they measured, behind rock depths larger than 1000 m, remnant fluxes of 1.83±0.50(syst)±0.07(stat) m−2 d−1 deg−2 (MU‐RAY) and 1.95±0.16(syst)±0.05(stat) m−2 d−1 deg−2 (TOMUVOL), that roughly correspond to the expected flux of high‐energy atmospheric muons crossing 600 meters water equivalent (mwe) at 18° elevation. This implies that imaging depths larger than 500 mwe from 1 km away using such prototype detectors suffer from an overwhelming background. These measurements confirm that a new generation of detectors with higher momentum threshold, time‐of‐flight measurement, and/or particle identification is needed. The MU‐RAY and TOMUVOL collaborations expect shortly to operate improved detectors, suitable for a robust muographic imaging of kilometer‐scale volcanoes.
1 July 2009 in Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
This work presents a synthesis of the present-day knowledge on both emerged and submerged carbonate platforms of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Onshore and offshore data acquired during the KaShallow project are presented. Since the early Zanclean, some isolated platforms developed onto a Jurassic to Tortonian basement which displayed reliefs inherited from a major extensional tectonic episode dated from −8 to −5 Ma. Marie-Galante, Grande Terre and the southern shelf of Grande-Terre show strong similarities with Zanclean to Gelasian red-algal facies upward changing into early Calabrian coral facies. A major erosional unconformity (SB2) was recognized and allows to distinguish two early Calabrian formations (Calcaires à Agaricia Formation and Calcaires à Acropora Formation). The final emersion of these platforms is late Calabrian. The La Désirade platform displays Zanclean to early Piacenzian red-algal facies upward changing into coral facies. This platform emerged as soon as in the late Piacenzian. The island subsided again in relation with later extensional tectonic episode and early Calabrian reef platform then unconformably deposited. The Colombie bank deposits comprise Pliocene basinal deposits overlain by late Calabrian coral reefs. The Flandre bank might have emerged synchronously with La Désirade but was drowned only in the late Pleistocene-Holocene interval. Four extensional tectonic episodes have been identified in the late Miocene-Recent interval. Their effects depend on the location of the platforms within the fore-arc.
1 April 2012 in Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research
The use of unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) in volcanological contexts is a key challenge in studying volcanoes and improving efficiency in the monitoring of volcanic activity. The coupling of ground and satellite measurements has been reinforced at an intermediate scale thanks to UAV measurements. Along with carrying out visible and infrared measurements, UAVs can conduct geophysical measurements for more in-depth studies. Magnetic field measurements are a powerful tool in volcanic contexts for (i) mapping structural contacts between formations of different ages or type, and (ii) imaging deep thermal anomalies and intrusive systems. Here, we focus on magnetic sensors, which are becoming operational, and in particular on a scalar system recently implemented on a light drone that can be deployed quickly and efficiently in the field. This paper presents several flight test results in order to discuss any artifacts of the UAV or environmental conditions in the magnetic measurements. The results of the comparison between simultaneous UAV and ground surveys are presented. We demonstrate that low altitude measurements are particularly relevant to well-imaged magnetic anomalies and their variation through time in a volcanic context. Some potential uses for this technology and associated applications are also discussed in the fields of exploring and monitoring active volcanoes, for the 4D imaging of volcanoes.