Weston Thelen
I love earthquakes. I love volcanoes. And I know for a fact that volcano seismology is the best seismology.
As a research geophysicist at the Cascades Volcano Observatory, I undertake and facilitate research on Cascade Range Volcanoes; monitor seismicity on Cascade Range Volcanoes to assess volcanic hazard; and assist in planning, prioritization and execution of maintenance and growth of volcano monitoring networks in Oregon and Washington.
My education is in both geology and geophysics with a focus more recently on volcanoes. I have experience on both stratovolcanoes and basaltic volcanoes in Russia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii. I've worked in eruptive scenarios at Mount St. Helens in 2004-2008, Redoubt in 2008 and Kilauea from 2011 till 2020. In addition, I've held positions at the Nevada Seismological Network, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, which have all had components of network seismology to them.
Professional Experience
2011 - 2016, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Seismic Network Manager/ Supervisory Geophysicist
Responsibilities: Maintain and improve real-time monitoring and operations of the seismic network at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Interpret seismic data for changes in volcanic activity. Analyze earthquake data.
Education and Certifications
2004: University of Nevada, B.S. in Geophysics with high distinction 2004
2004: University of Nevada, B.S. in Geology with high distinction 2004
2009: University of Washington, Ph.D in Geophysics
2009: University of Washington, Network Seismology, Post Doc
2010: USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory, Volcano Seismology, Post Doc
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 43
Focused seismicity triggered by flank instability on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone
Swarms of earthquakes at the head of the Southwest Rift Zone on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, reveal an interaction of normal and strike-slip faulting associated with movement of Kīlauea's south flank. A relocated subset of earthquakes between January 2012 and August 2014 are highly focused in space and time at depths that are coincident with the south caldera magma reservoir beneath the...
Authors
Josiah Judson, Weston Thelen, Tim Greenfield, Robert G. White
Improving the Hawaiian seismic network for earthquake early warning
The motivation for earthquake early warning (EEW) is the fact that in many applications a few extra seconds of notice ahead of the about-imminent strong shaking can provide significant benefit. Reducing data latencies, accelerating processing times, and tuning seismic station distributions increase time available for warning. We assess the feasibility of EEW for Hawai‘i and examine how...
Authors
Alicia Hotovec-Ellis, Paul Bodin, Weston Thelen, P. Okubo, John E. Vidale
Volcano dome dynamics at Mount St. Helens: Deformation and intermittent subsidence monitored by seismicity and camera imagery pixel offsets
The surface deformation field measured at volcanic domes provides insights into the effects of magmatic processes, gravity- and gas-driven processes, and the development and distribution of internal dome structures. Here we study short-term dome deformation associated with earthquakes at Mount St. Helens, recorded by a permanent optical camera and seismic monitoring network. We use...
Authors
Jacqueline T. Salzer, Weston A. Thelen, Mike R. James, Thomas R. Walter, Seth C. Moran, Roger P. Denlinger
Feasibility study of earthquake early warning (EEW) in Hawaii
The effects of earthquake shaking on the population and infrastructure across the State of Hawaii could be catastrophic, and the high seismic hazard in the region emphasizes the likelihood of such an event. Earthquake early warning (EEW) has the potential to give several seconds of warning before strong shaking starts, and thus reduce loss of life and damage to property. The two...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen, Alicia J. Hotovec-Ellis, Paul Bodin
The 2014 annual report for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Introduction This report summarizes team activities and findings of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the year 2014 in geology, geodesy, seismicity, and gas geochemistry. The eruption of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō continued into its 32nd year with flows active to the northeast of the vent. One of them, the June 27th lava flow, named for the date in 2014 that the flow started, advanced far and fast...
Authors
James P. Kauahikaua, Tim R. Orr, Matt Patrick, Weston A. Thelen, Matthew K. Burgess, Asta Miklius, Michael P. Poland, Kyle R. Anderson, Loren Antolik, Tamar Elias, Jeff Sutton, Christoph Kern, Cindy Werner
The 2014-2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i: Disaster avoided and lessons learned
Lava flow crises are nothing new on the Island of Hawai‘i, where their destructive force has been demonstrated repeatedly over the past several hundred years. The 2014–2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis, however, was unique in terms of its societal impact and volcanological characteristics. Despite low effusion rates, a long-lived lava flow whose extent reached 20 km (the longest at Kīlauea...
Authors
Michael P. Poland, Tim R. Orr, James P. Kauahikaua, Steven R. Brantley, Janet L. Babb, Matthew R. Patrick, Christina A. Neal, Kyle R. Anderson, Loren Antolik, Matthew K. Burgess, Tamar Elias, Steven Fuke, Pauline Fukunaga, Ingrid A. Johanson, Marian Kagimoto, Kevan P. Kamibayashi, Lopaka Lee, Asta Miklius, William Million, Cyril J. Moniz, Paul G. Okubo, Andrew Sutton, T. Jane Takahashi, Weston A. Thelen, Willam Tollett, Frank A. Trusdell
Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18 year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next 4 years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to...
Authors
A.J. Hotovec-Ellis, J.E. Vidale, Joan S. Gomberg, Weston A. Thelen, Seth C. Moran
Linking magma transport structures at Kīlauea volcano
Identifying magma pathways is important for understanding and interpreting volcanic signals. At Kīlauea volcano, seismicity illuminates subsurface plumbing, but the broad spectrum of seismic phenomena hampers event identification. Discrete, long-period events (LPs) dominate the shallow (5-10 km) plumbing, and deep (40+ km) tremor has been observed offshore. However, our inability to...
Authors
Aaron G. Wech, Weston A. Thelen
Crustal stress and structure at Kīlauea Volcano inferred from seismic anisotropy
Seismic anisotropy, measured through shear wave splitting (SWS) analysis, can be indicative of the state of stress in Earth's crust. Changes in SWS at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, associated with the onset of summit eruptive activity in 2008 hint at the potential of the technique for tracking volcanic activity. To use SWS observations as a monitoring tool, however, it is important to...
Authors
Jessica H. Johnson, Donald Swanson, Diana C. Roman, Michael P. Poland, Weston A. Thelen
An analysis of three new infrasound arrays around Kīlauea Volcano
A network of three new infrasound station arrays was installed around Kīlauea Volcano between July 2012 and September 2012, and a preliminary analysis of open-vent monitoring has been completed by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Infrasound is an emerging monitoring method in volcanology that detects perturbations in atmospheric pressure at frequencies below 20 Hz, which can result...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen, Jennifer Cooper
Kilauea's 5-9 March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption and its relation to 30+ years of activity from Pu'u 'Ō'ō
Lava output from Kīlauea's long-lived East Rift Zone eruption, ongoing since 1983, began waning in 2010 and was coupled with uplift, increased seismicity, and rising lava levels at the volcano's summit and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent. These changes culminated in the four-day-long Kamoamoa fissure eruption on the East Rift Zone starting on 5 March 2011. About 2.7 × 106 m3 of lava erupted, accompanied...
Authors
Tim R. Orr, Michael P. Poland, Matthew R. Patrick, Weston A. Thelen, A.J. Sutton, Tamar Elias, Carl R. Thornber, Carolyn Parcheta, Kelly M. Wooten
Seismic instrumentation plan for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
The seismic network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is the main source of authoritative data for reporting earthquakes in the State of Hawaii, including those that occur on the State’s six active volcanoes (Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, Mauna Kea, Haleakalā, Lō‘ihi). Of these volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are considered “very high threat” in...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 43
Focused seismicity triggered by flank instability on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone
Swarms of earthquakes at the head of the Southwest Rift Zone on Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, reveal an interaction of normal and strike-slip faulting associated with movement of Kīlauea's south flank. A relocated subset of earthquakes between January 2012 and August 2014 are highly focused in space and time at depths that are coincident with the south caldera magma reservoir beneath the...
Authors
Josiah Judson, Weston Thelen, Tim Greenfield, Robert G. White
Improving the Hawaiian seismic network for earthquake early warning
The motivation for earthquake early warning (EEW) is the fact that in many applications a few extra seconds of notice ahead of the about-imminent strong shaking can provide significant benefit. Reducing data latencies, accelerating processing times, and tuning seismic station distributions increase time available for warning. We assess the feasibility of EEW for Hawai‘i and examine how...
Authors
Alicia Hotovec-Ellis, Paul Bodin, Weston Thelen, P. Okubo, John E. Vidale
Volcano dome dynamics at Mount St. Helens: Deformation and intermittent subsidence monitored by seismicity and camera imagery pixel offsets
The surface deformation field measured at volcanic domes provides insights into the effects of magmatic processes, gravity- and gas-driven processes, and the development and distribution of internal dome structures. Here we study short-term dome deformation associated with earthquakes at Mount St. Helens, recorded by a permanent optical camera and seismic monitoring network. We use...
Authors
Jacqueline T. Salzer, Weston A. Thelen, Mike R. James, Thomas R. Walter, Seth C. Moran, Roger P. Denlinger
Feasibility study of earthquake early warning (EEW) in Hawaii
The effects of earthquake shaking on the population and infrastructure across the State of Hawaii could be catastrophic, and the high seismic hazard in the region emphasizes the likelihood of such an event. Earthquake early warning (EEW) has the potential to give several seconds of warning before strong shaking starts, and thus reduce loss of life and damage to property. The two...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen, Alicia J. Hotovec-Ellis, Paul Bodin
The 2014 annual report for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Introduction This report summarizes team activities and findings of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory during the year 2014 in geology, geodesy, seismicity, and gas geochemistry. The eruption of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō continued into its 32nd year with flows active to the northeast of the vent. One of them, the June 27th lava flow, named for the date in 2014 that the flow started, advanced far and fast...
Authors
James P. Kauahikaua, Tim R. Orr, Matt Patrick, Weston A. Thelen, Matthew K. Burgess, Asta Miklius, Michael P. Poland, Kyle R. Anderson, Loren Antolik, Tamar Elias, Jeff Sutton, Christoph Kern, Cindy Werner
The 2014-2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i: Disaster avoided and lessons learned
Lava flow crises are nothing new on the Island of Hawai‘i, where their destructive force has been demonstrated repeatedly over the past several hundred years. The 2014–2015 Pāhoa lava flow crisis, however, was unique in terms of its societal impact and volcanological characteristics. Despite low effusion rates, a long-lived lava flow whose extent reached 20 km (the longest at Kīlauea...
Authors
Michael P. Poland, Tim R. Orr, James P. Kauahikaua, Steven R. Brantley, Janet L. Babb, Matthew R. Patrick, Christina A. Neal, Kyle R. Anderson, Loren Antolik, Matthew K. Burgess, Tamar Elias, Steven Fuke, Pauline Fukunaga, Ingrid A. Johanson, Marian Kagimoto, Kevan P. Kamibayashi, Lopaka Lee, Asta Miklius, William Million, Cyril J. Moniz, Paul G. Okubo, Andrew Sutton, T. Jane Takahashi, Weston A. Thelen, Willam Tollett, Frank A. Trusdell
Changes in seismic velocity during the first 14 months of the 2004–2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
Mount St. Helens began erupting in late 2004 following an 18 year quiescence. Swarms of repeating earthquakes accompanied the extrusion of a mostly solid dacite dome over the next 4 years. In some cases the waveforms from these earthquakes evolved slowly, likely reflecting changes in the properties of the volcano that affect seismic wave propagation. We use coda-wave interferometry to...
Authors
A.J. Hotovec-Ellis, J.E. Vidale, Joan S. Gomberg, Weston A. Thelen, Seth C. Moran
Linking magma transport structures at Kīlauea volcano
Identifying magma pathways is important for understanding and interpreting volcanic signals. At Kīlauea volcano, seismicity illuminates subsurface plumbing, but the broad spectrum of seismic phenomena hampers event identification. Discrete, long-period events (LPs) dominate the shallow (5-10 km) plumbing, and deep (40+ km) tremor has been observed offshore. However, our inability to...
Authors
Aaron G. Wech, Weston A. Thelen
Crustal stress and structure at Kīlauea Volcano inferred from seismic anisotropy
Seismic anisotropy, measured through shear wave splitting (SWS) analysis, can be indicative of the state of stress in Earth's crust. Changes in SWS at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, associated with the onset of summit eruptive activity in 2008 hint at the potential of the technique for tracking volcanic activity. To use SWS observations as a monitoring tool, however, it is important to...
Authors
Jessica H. Johnson, Donald Swanson, Diana C. Roman, Michael P. Poland, Weston A. Thelen
An analysis of three new infrasound arrays around Kīlauea Volcano
A network of three new infrasound station arrays was installed around Kīlauea Volcano between July 2012 and September 2012, and a preliminary analysis of open-vent monitoring has been completed by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Infrasound is an emerging monitoring method in volcanology that detects perturbations in atmospheric pressure at frequencies below 20 Hz, which can result...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen, Jennifer Cooper
Kilauea's 5-9 March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption and its relation to 30+ years of activity from Pu'u 'Ō'ō
Lava output from Kīlauea's long-lived East Rift Zone eruption, ongoing since 1983, began waning in 2010 and was coupled with uplift, increased seismicity, and rising lava levels at the volcano's summit and Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent. These changes culminated in the four-day-long Kamoamoa fissure eruption on the East Rift Zone starting on 5 March 2011. About 2.7 × 106 m3 of lava erupted, accompanied...
Authors
Tim R. Orr, Michael P. Poland, Matthew R. Patrick, Weston A. Thelen, A.J. Sutton, Tamar Elias, Carl R. Thornber, Carolyn Parcheta, Kelly M. Wooten
Seismic instrumentation plan for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
The seismic network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is the main source of authoritative data for reporting earthquakes in the State of Hawaii, including those that occur on the State’s six active volcanoes (Kīlauea, Mauna Loa, Hualālai, Mauna Kea, Haleakalā, Lō‘ihi). Of these volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa are considered “very high threat” in...
Authors
Weston A. Thelen