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Recently, HVO geophysicists completed the annual high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) survey of Mauna Loa. The annual survey supplements HVO's continuous GPS monitoring stations and provides information on vertical and horizontal deformation of the ground surface. These measurements inform HVO about the volume changes within subsurface magma reservoirs at Mauna Loa. This photo shows a survey benchmark being occupied on the west flank of Mauna Loa with clear views of Hualālai. USGS photo by S. Conway.
During the annual Mauna Loa GPS campaign, 33 campaign stations are occupied with GPS instruments for days to weeks. The stations are spread across the flanks of the volcano and provide a synoptic picture of deformation on the volcano over the past year. The location of this survey was on the north flank of Mauna Loa, with clear views of Mauna Kea visible in the background. USGS photo by S. Conway.
Another GPS survey benchmark being occupied on Mauna Loa's north flank, with clear views of Mauna Kea in the background. The metal disk on the ground beneath the tripod is the benchmark, which is cemented to the lava flow surface. Each year, the high-precision GPS unit is centered on the benchmark, and the height of the GPS unit on the tripod is accounted for when calculating how much that spot has moved vertically and horizontally over the past year. USGS photo by S. Conway.
GPS campaign survey stations high on the flanks of Mauna Loa offer expansive views of neighboring volcanoes. From this station located west of Mauna Loa summit, Hualālai volcano is visible. Most Mauna Loa GPS campaign survey sites have been occupied every year since 1996, whereas less active volcanoes Hualālai and Haleakalā are surveyed every 3–5 years. USGS photo by S. Conway.
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