Drilling a Small Basaltic Volcano to Reveal Potential Hazards

Abstract

Terrestrial basaltic volcanic fields consist of tens to hundreds of single‐eruptive‐episode (monogenetic) volcanoes. These fields are among the most common volcanic features on Earth's surface and can cover areas up to thousands of square kilometers. Although such fields commonly are active for hundreds of thousands of years, individual eruptions are rare (perhaps one every thousand or tens of thousands of years). The eruptions are small and short‐lived and last several days to decades, producing a small cone or crater. Despite the low eruption frequency of each volcano within the field, the spread of human infrastructure into these fields in many parts of the world necessitates a better understanding of future hazards.