Shallow Tremor Research Articles

Revisiting Seismic Energy of Shallow Tremors: Amplifications Due To Site and Propagation Path Effects Near the Nankai Trough

AbstractWe investigated the effects of the propagation path and site amplification of shallow tremors along the Nankai Trough. Using far‐field S‐wave propagation from intraslab earthquake data, the amplification factors at the DONET stations were 5–40 times against an inland outcrop rock site. Thick (∼5 km) sedimentary layers with VS of 0.6–2 km/s beneath DONET stations have been confirmed by seismological studies. To investigate the effects of thick sedimentary layers, we synthesized seismograms of shallow tremors and intraslab earthquakes at seafloor stations. The ratios of the maximum amplitudes from the synthetic intraslab seismograms between models with and without thick sedimentary layers were 1–2. This means that thin lower‐velocity (<0.6 km/s) sediments just below the stations primarily control the estimated large amplifications. Conversely, at near‐source (≤20 km) distances, 1‐order amplifications of seismic energies for a shallow tremor source can occur due to thick sedimentary layers. Multiple S‐wave reflections between the seafloor and plate interface are contaminated in tremor envelopes; consequently, seismic energy and duration are overestimated. If a shallow tremor occurs within underthrust sediments, the overestimation becomes stronger because of the invalid rigidity assumptions around the source region. After 1‐order corrections of seismic energies of shallow tremors along the Nankai Trough, the scaled energies of seismic slow earthquakes were 10−10–10−9 irrespective of the region and source depth. Hence, the physical mechanisms governing seismic slow earthquakes can be the same, irrespective of the region and source depth.

Spatial variation in shallow slow earthquake activity in Hyuga-nada, southwest Japan

SUMMARY Hyuga-nada, off the Pacific coast of Kyushu along the Nankai Trough in southwest Japan, is one of the most active slow earthquake regions around Japan. We estimated the energies of shallow tremors and moments of shallow very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) in Hyuga-nada using data from a permanent onshore broadband network and temporary ocean–bottom seismometer observations. The energies and moments of these slow earthquakes have a similar along-strike variation and are generally higher south of the subducted Kyushu–Palau Ridge than near the top of the ridge. This spatial variation is also related to the characteristics of slow earthquake migration. The along-strike migration speed was faster at initiation in the south, where the moments of slow earthquakes are higher. After migration entered the subducted Kyushu–Palau Ridge, its speed was decelerated with a parabolic pattern and their moments became smaller. Assuming a constant patch size of slow earthquakes, we estimated that the stress drop of VLFEs in the south of the subducted ridge was approximately three times higher than that near the top of the subducted ridge. According to our observations and a physical model, this stress drop difference between adjacent regions may cause parabolic migration. We also estimated the scaled energy of slow earthquakes from the ratio of the seismic energy rates of tremors to the seismic moment rates of accompanying VLFEs. The spatial variation in scaled energy is not identified inside the Hyuga-nada. Since the range of scaled energy is similar between the south and near the top of the subducted ridge, the apparent stress may be similar if the rigidity is the same. The dominant range of scaled energy of slow earthquakes in Hyuga-nada is 10−11.5–10−8.5. In addition to having similar or one order smaller values compared to other slow earthquake regions, the range of scaled energy in Hyuga-nada is broader. This broader range suggests wide range of characteristic time and various spectral features of slow earthquakes in Hyuga-nada. Based on a Brownian slow earthquake model, the wide range of characteristic time in this area suggests width variations of slow earthquake source area.

Undulations in Subducted Oceanic Crust Correlate With Shallow Tremor Distribution in the Kuril Trench Off Hokkaido

AbstractRecent research has shown that shallow tremors tend to occur in spatial association with heterogeneous conditions, which are formed by seamounts or ridges on the subducted oceanic crust. In the southern Kuril Trench, shallow tremors have been observed on the western side, although no apparent heterogeneity in the subducted oceanic crust has been identified. To investigate structures spatially associated with these shallow tremors, we processed reflection seismic data acquired along seven profiles. We examined structures ranging from the seafloor to the top of the oceanic crust, within a depth of up to 20 km. Our results reveal that undulations observed at the top of the subducted oceanic crust are related to the distribution and number of shallow tremors. The undulations would play a crucial role in the distribution of shallow tremors.

Observation of Shallow Slow Earthquakes by Distributed Acoustic Sensing Using Offshore Fiber‐Optic Cable in the Nankai Trough, Southwest Japan

AbstractOff Cape Muroto area, along the Nankai Trough in southwest Japan, is a typical area with adjacent occurrences of slow and megathrust earthquakes. High‐resolution monitoring of slow earthquakes is necessary to understand tectonic conditions. In the off Muroto area, distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) measurement, which provides high‐density strain data, has been conducted using offshore fiber‐optic cable. We observed shallow tremors, a type of slow earthquakes, using DAS measurement for the first time. The characteristics of the tremor signals recorded by DAS were longer durations than those recorded in seismographs and composed of several phases with apparent velocities of several hundreds of m/s to several km/s that are coherent only in tens of meters. By combining DAS and seismograph data, we located these tremors around a subducted seamount peak. Therefore, spatial relationship between slow earthquakes and structural characteristics is suggested. This is a pioneering study of slow earthquake observation using DAS.

Detecting sources of shallow tremor at neighboring volcanoes in the Virunga Volcanic Province using seismic amplitude ratio analysis (SARA)

Detecting sources of shallow tremor at neighboring volcanoes in the Virunga Volcanic Province using seismic amplitude ratio analysis (SARA)

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Shallow Tremors Along the Nankai Trough, Southwest Japan, as Determined From Waveform Amplitudes and Cross‐Correlations

AbstractShallow slow earthquakes in subduction zones are related to spatiotemporal variations of stress on the plate boundary adjacent to a megathrust earthquake. A dense network (DONET) of cabled ocean‐bottom seismometers (OBSs) deployed in the Nankai Trough seismogenic zone, southwest Japan, has enabled real‐time monitoring of tremors. Because the amplitudes of tremor signals are very low, even when recorded by OBSs, we developed a hybrid method that simultaneously uses traveltimes based on cross‐correlations and amplitudes of waveforms to determine tremor hypocenters. We applied our method to waveforms observed during five years of continuous DONET recording from April 2016 to September 2021 to detect more than 6,500 tremors, including three major episodes in 2016, 2018, and 2020–2021. The tremors of each episode were distributed over distances of >100 km along the trench axis in two regions, southeast of the Kii Peninsula and off Cape Muroto. We also estimated seismic energy rates and found that for the three major tremor episodes, energy rates increased gradually with time. The 2018 and 2020–2021 episodes began near a subducted seamount and a subducted ridge, respectively, and were likely related to fluid movements controlled by the topography of the downgoing plate. We showed that the tremors were spatiotemporally synchronized with slow slip events, and their spatial variations of energy rate corresponded to stress heterogeneity on the shallow plate boundary. Future real‐time monitoring of shallow tremors will contribute to our understanding of changes of stress state due to slow earthquakes at the shallow plate boundary.

A strength inversion origin for non-volcanic tremor

Non-volcanic tremor is a particularly enigmatic form of seismic activity. In its most studied subduction zone setting, tremor typically occurs within the plate interface at or near the shallow and deep edges of the interseismically locked zone. Detailed seismic observations have shown that tremor is composed of repeating small low-frequency earthquakes, often accompanied by very-low-frequency earthquakes, all involving shear failure and slip. However, low-frequency earthquakes and very-low-frequency earthquakes within each cluster show nearly constant source durations for all observed magnitudes, which implies characteristic tremor sub-event sources of near-constant size. Here we integrate geological observations and geomechanical lab measurements on heterogeneous rock assemblages representative of the shallow tremor region offshore the Middle America Trench with numerical simulations to demonstrate that these tremor events are consistent with the seismic failure of relatively weaker blocks within a stronger matrix. In these subducting rocks, hydrothermalism has led to a strength-inversion from a weak matrix with relatively stronger blocks to a stronger matrix with embedded relatively weaker blocks. Tremor naturally occurs as the now-weaker blocks fail seismically while their surrounding matrix has not yet reached a state of general seismic failure.

Shallow slow earthquakes to decipher future catastrophic earthquakes in the Guerrero seismic gap

The Guerrero seismic gap is presumed to be a major source of seismic and tsunami hazard along the Mexican subduction zone. Until recently, there were limited observations at the shallow portion of the plate interface offshore Guerrero, so we deployed instruments there to better characterize the extent of the seismogenic zone. Here we report the discovery of episodic shallow tremors and potential slow slip events in Guerrero offshore. Their distribution, together with that of repeating earthquakes, seismicity, residual gravity and bathymetry, suggest that a portion of the shallow plate interface in the gap undergoes stable slip. This mechanical condition may not only explain the long return period of large earthquakes inside the gap, but also reveals why the rupture from past M < 8 earthquakes on adjacent megathrust segments did not propagate into the gap to result in much larger events. However, dynamic rupture effects could drive one of these nearby earthquakes to break through the entire Guerrero seismic gap.

Seismic energy radiation and along-strike heterogeneities of shallow tectonic tremors at the Nankai Trough and Japan Trench

Shallow slow earthquakes have been documented along shallow plate interfaces near trenches. Recent geophysical observation networks located offshore of Japan enable us to analyze shallow tremors in the Nankai Trough and the Japan Trench. Onshore seismic stations are also important for detecting shallow very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs) and for evaluating their seismicity prior to the deployment of offshore observation networks. This study analyzes data from ocean bottom seismometers to estimate the seismic energy radiation of such tremors, from which we observe along-strike heterogeneity. Tremors with higher seismic energy rates tend to have longer recurrence intervals, which has also been observed for deep tremors. This study also estimates seismic moment releases of shallow VLFEs at the Japan Trench observed by onshore seismic stations using Green's function in a local three-dimensional seismic velocity model. The scaled energy, which is the ratio of the seismic energy (rate) to the seismic moment (rate), is ~10−9. Shallow slow earthquakes located off the Kii Peninsula and Cape Muroto in the Nankai Trough have higher values (10−9–10−8), while shallow slow earthquakes located off the Kii channel in the Nankai Trough and in the Japan Trench have lower values (10−10–10−9), which are similar to the values estimated for deep slow earthquakes. By comparing the cumulative seismic energy of the shallow tremors with the cumulative seismic moment of shallow VLFEs, we evaluate the monitoring of shallow tremors and shallow VLFEs in the Japan Trench, suggesting that monitoring shallow VLFEs based on data from onshore seismic stations could miss many (~90% at most) of the seismic moment releases by small magnitude but frequent events.

Seismicity and outgassing dynamics of Nyiragongo volcano

Active lava lakes at volcanoes can be regarded as open windows to their magmatic systems. The dynamics of such lakes may therefore provide decisive insights into deeper magmatic processes, potentially leading to fundamental theoretical implications and volcano monitoring improvements. Among the rare volcanoes on Earth hosting a persistent lava lake, Nyiragongo in D.R. Congo directly threatens a massive population of roughly 1 million inhabitants. Here we analyze close-range (i.e., summit) and distant (around 17 km) seismic measurements acquired at this African volcano between 2011 and 2018 in order to better understand the seismic signature of the lava lake activity and how it relates to the deeper volcanic processes. Both summit and distant seismic records contain a similar continuous tremor pattern attributable to the lava lake activity. Combining this information with time-lapse camera images and lava lake level measurements confirms the mechanism of gas pistoning at Nyiragongo, which is characterized by short-duration (a few minutes long) and meter-scale level variations during the period of observation. We also characterize the dominant periodicity of this shallow tremor signature of about a few tens of minutes. Because this marked periodic pattern varies during a significant one-month fluctuation of SO2 emissions (estimated from space), we suggest that this particular seismic periodicity corresponds to the convective lake movement driven by the persistent degassing typical of active open-vent volcanoes. Finally, new seismic evidence reveals the effect of deep magmatic intrusion and consequent major pressure changes in the plumbing system, resulting in sudden and large drops of the lava lake level associated with strong degassing. Such transient episodes have similar characteristics to total lava lake drainage associated with flank eruptions already observed at this volcano in 1977 and 2002, or at Kīlauea volcano in 2018.

Shallow Nonvolcanic Tremor Activity and Potential Repeating Earthquakes in the Chile Triple Junction: Seismic Evidence of the Subduction of the Active Nazca–Antarctic Spreading Center

ABSTRACT In southern Chile, at ∼46.2°S and ∼75.2°W, the active spreading center between the Nazca and Antarctic plates is colliding with the South American plate, forming the Chile triple junction (CTJ). For 1 yr, from March 2009 to February 2010, five ocean‐bottom seismometers (OBSs) were deployed over the CTJ. We used a portion of the OBS data to study the seismic signatures of the subduction of the active Nazca–Antarctic spreading center. Using the envelope technique, we detected long episodes of shallow nonvolcanic tremor (NVT) activity. To improve the identified location of the NVT activity, we cross‐correlated the vertical and horizontal components of all located NVTs. In different months, we measured the local maximum of the lag‐time correlation near 2 s, which is associated with the lag between the S and P waves (S−Ptime). Furthermore, we observed that in the days with intense tremor activity, the maxima corresponding to S−Ptime emerged in windows without observable NVTs. We suggest that days with intense tremor activity correspond to an almost continuous slow slip, which may accelerate and decelerates nearly randomly, with spatial and temporal heterogeneity. In addition, we detected some potential repeating earthquakes with an S−Ptime near 2 s, as well as NVTs. The detected NVT activity and potential repeating earthquakes suggest the existence of a shallow region close to the CTJ that is able to generate brittle (earthquakes) and brittle–ductile (potential repeating earthquakes and NVTs) ruptures.

Origin of Shallow Volcanic Tremor: The Dynamics of Gas Pockets Trapped Beneath Thin Permeable Media

AbstractLinking volcano‐seismic signals with subsurface processes is crucial to improve the forecasting of volcanic eruptions. One of the most enigmatic signals is shallow volcanic tremor, a highly periodic ground vibration that is typically sourced beneath the crater of active volcanoes, is long lasting (from minutes to years), appears during unrest periods, and frequently precedes eruptions. In this paper, we demonstrate that shallow tremor can be produced by periodic pressure oscillations emerging spontaneously beneath permeable media (e.g., fractured magma caps). These pressure oscillations are the result of three concurrent processes: (a) the transient porous flow of gases through the permeable cap; (b) the temporary accumulation of these gases beneath the cap, forming a gas pocket; and (c) the random supply of volatiles from deeper levels. For highly permeable media (≥10−12 m2; realistic for shallow volcanic edifices), the pressure in subsurface gas pockets is governed by the equation of a linear oscillator; hence, under proper conditions, periodic pressure oscillations emerge during the transfer of gases from the Earth's interior to the surface. Our model is consistent with geophysical data showing that the tremor source is localized at a fixed region and can explain the main characteristics of ground vibrations, including frequency gliding, variations of seismic amplitude prior to eruptions, and the different types of tremor observed. For thin permeable caps (&lt;100 m), we find that different eruption mechanisms (e.g., magma ascent vs. cap sealing) leave distinct footprints in the tremor properties, thus opening new perspectives to forecast the type and style of impending eruptions.

Shallow episodic tremor near the Nankai Trough axis off southeast Mie prefecture, Japan

AbstractWe analyzed long‐term continuous seismic records (from September 2015 to April 2016) of Dense Ocean‐floor Network System for Earthquake and Tsunamis, an ocean‐floor observation system deployed around the fore‐arc slope of the Nankai subduction zone to investigate shallow tremor near the trough axis. We found that the activity of shallow tremor was concentrated in two time periods: 6 days in October 2015 and 2 weeks in April 2016. During the episode in April 2016, migration and triggering of tremor were observed. These characteristics are similar to those of tremor in the deeper part of the subduction zone. The triggering of tremor indicates that the tremor activity is very sensitive to nearby stress perturbation in the area of this study, which is near the initiation points of past large earthquakes along the Nankai Trough. Therefore, it is very important to monitor tremor activity in this region for understanding the stress accumulation process of megathrust earthquakes.

Helicopter vs. volcanic tremor: Characteristic features of seismic harmonic tremor on volcanoes

We recorded high-frequency (>10Hz) harmonic tremor with spectral gliding at Hekla Volcano in Iceland. Particle motion plots indicated a shallow tremor source. We observed up to two overtones beneath our Nyquist frequency of 50Hz and could resolve a source of closely spaced pulses of very short duration (0.03-0.1s) on zoomed seismograms. Volcanic tremor with fundamental frequencies above 5Hz, frequency gliding and/or repetitive sources similar to our observations were observed on different volcanoes around the world. However, this frequency content, duration and occurrence of volcano-related tremor was not observed in the last 35years of seismic observations at Hekla. Detailed analysis reveals that this tremor was related to helicopters passing the volcano. This study relates the GPS track of a helicopter with seismic recordings of the helicopter at various distances. We show the effect the distance, number of rotor blades and velocity of the helicopter has on the observed up and down glidings at up to 40km distance. We highlight similarities and differences between volcano-related and helicopter tremor in order to help avoid misinterpretations.

The synchronous occurrence of shallow tremor and very low frequency earthquakes offshore of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

The occurrence of transient, shallow slow slip at seismogenic zones has important implications for earthquake and tsunami hazards. Here we provide evidence that a tremor and slow slip event occurred at shallow depth offshore of the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, in August 2008. The temporal coincidence of offshore tremor, very low frequency earthquakes (VLFEs), motions consistent with slow slip on the plate interface on western coastal GPS stations, and a pressure transient in an IODP borehole all indicate slow slip occurring at shallow depths. Large ocean loading stresses on the shallow plate interface modulate tremor activity, with the peak Coulomb stress forced by semi‐diurnal ocean tides correlating with tremor productivity. Based on beamforming data, we constrain that the VLFE activity occurs in the same region as the tremor and slow slip. The presence of slow slip at shallow depth has important implications for the up‐dip extent of earthquake rupture. The proximity of the 5 September 2012, Mw 7.6 megathrust earthquake to slow slip, tremor, and VLFE activity in the 2008 event suggests abrupt frictional transitions from locked to conditionally stable behavior on the plate interface offshore of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Tremor reveals stress shadowing, deep postseismic creep, and depth-dependent slip recurrence on the lower-crustal San Andreas fault near Parkfield

[1] The 2003 magnitude 6.5 San Simeon and the 2004 magnitude 6.0 Parkfield earthquakes induced small, but significant, static stress changes in the lower crust on the central San Andreas fault, where recently detected tectonic tremor sources provide new constraints on deep fault creep processes. We find that these earthquakes affect tremor rates very differently, consistent with their differing transferred static shear stresses. The San Simeon event appears to have cast a “stress shadow” north of Parkfield, where tremor activity was stifled for 3–6 weeks. In contrast, the 2004 Parkfield earthquake dramatically increased tremor activity rates both north and south of Parkfield, allowing us to track deep postseismic slip. Following this event, rates initially increased by up to two orders of magnitude for the relatively shallow tremor sources closest to the rupture, with activity in some sources persisting above background rates for more than a year. We also observe strong depth dependence in tremor recurrence patterns, with shallower sources generally exhibiting larger, less-frequent bursts, possibly signaling a transition toward steady creep with increasing temperature and depth.

Northern Cascadia episodic tremor and slip: A decade of tremor observations from 1997 to 2007

We analyze continuous seismic and GPS records collected in the last decade (1997–2007) to establish the most comprehensive observational basis for northern Cascadia episodic tremor and slip (ETS) events. A simple “ETS scale” system, using a combination of a letter and a digit, is proposed to quantitatively characterize the spatial and temporal dimensions of ETS events. Clear correlation between GPS and tremor signals is observed for all A/B class episodes, but the GPS signature is less obvious for minor ones. Regular ETS recurrence can be established only for A/B class episodes in southern Vancouver Island. Halting and jumping are very common in ETS migration patterns, and along‐strike migration can happen in both directions. A prominent tremor gap is observed in midisland around 49.5°N. This gap coincides with the epicenters of the only two large earthquakes beneath Vancouver Island. ETS tremors also tend to occur in places where the local seismicity is relatively sparse. The tremor depth distribution shows a peak in the 25–35 km range where strong seismic reflectors (i.e., the E layer) are documented. Detailed waveform analysis confirms the existence of shallow tremors above the currently interpreted plate interface. Our results suggest that a significant portion of the tremor activity and perhaps associated shearing are taking place along well‐developed structures such as the E layer, while fewer tremor bursts are generated elsewhere in response to the induced stress variation throughout the source volume.

Long-term variation of the shallow tremor sources at Aso Volcano from 1999 to 2003

In order to investigate the continuous volcanic tremor of Aso Volcano in Japan, we performed a series of temporary short-period seismic array observations near the Nakadake first crater (the active crater) during five years from 1999 to 2003. We deployed in all of the temporary observations a seismic array at the same location about 700 m west of the active crater, in order to investigate long-term changes in the tremor activity. In 1999 and 2003, another array was simultaneously deployed at a different location 700 m north of the crater to help locate the tremor sources. We developed a frequency domain semblance method and applied it to the waveform data of the frequency range where the continuous tremor is dominant (3–6 Hz). We measured arrival azimuths and slownesses of the continuous tremor signals as functions of frequency, which are then used to locate the epicenters of the tremor signals corresponding to the principal peaks of the power spectra. For the observations in 1999 and 2002, the continuous tremor amplitudes are relatively small, and the slowness of the tremor signal observed at the west array takes a local minimum (0.5 to 0.6 s/km) near the frequency (∼ 4.7 Hz for 1999 and ∼ 4.8 Hz for 2002) which corresponds to the highest spectral peak. This implies that body waves dominate the tremor signals at the west array around the frequency. The tremor epicenters corresponding to 4.7 Hz for the observation in 1999 are located at the west rim of the currently active crater. While the surface crater activity of Aso remains low and the tremor activity is not clearly linked with the surface activity until early 2003, a close link between the tremor and crater activity appears in the middle of 2003, when a small phreatic eruption occurred a month before the array observation (July 10, 2003). Tremor signals of the observation in 2003 show a large spectral peak (4.2 Hz) where the slowness measured for the west array is very large (1.1 s/km), clearly suggesting that surface waves are dominant. The epicenter is again located at the western rim of the active crater. We interpret these observations as follows: in 1999 and 2002 when the surface activities of Aso were low, the continuous tremor excitation was deep and inactive. In the middle of 2003 when Aso Volcano became active with a series of phreatic eruptions a shallower tremor source was activated, possibly masking the deeper sources. This shallowing of the dominant tremor source could be due to the increase in the volcanic gas flow rate triggered by the phreatic eruptions.

Duration‐amplitude distribution of volcanic tremor

The duration‐amplitude distribution of volcanic tremor was examined in eight volcanoes and one geothermal area. An exponential model, implying a scale‐bound source process, is found to be a better fit to the data than a power law (scale invariant) model. The exponential model well describes tremor associated with magmatic and phreatic eruptions, shallow and deep source regions, and geothermal sources. We tested the exponential model described by: , where d is the duration of tremor greater than or equal to a particular amplitude DR, dt is the total duration of tremor, and the inverse of λ is the characteristic amplitude of the distribution. λ−1 takes on values between 0.003 and 7.7 cm2. Our results show that the characteristic amplitude for eruptive tremor is greater than for noneruptive tremor, that for deep tremor is greater than for shallow tremor, and that for tremor associated with magmatic eruptions is greater than for tremor associated with phreatic eruptions. The exponential scaling of tremor suggests that tremor is not simply composed of a series of low‐frequency events closely spaced in time. Further, the exponential scaling requires the source to be scale bound; the amplitude variations of tremor are distributed about a constant characteristic amplitude. We propose that exponential scaling of tremor amplitude is caused by fixed source geometry driven by variable excess pressures. The exponential scaling of tremor demonstrates that tremor source processes are fundamentally different from those for earthquakes.

Wavefield properties of a shallow long-period event and tremor at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

The wavefields of tremor and a long-period (LP) event associated with the ongoing eruptive activity at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, are investigated using a combination of dense small-aperture (300m) and sparse large-aperture (5km) arrays deployed in the vicinity of the summit caldera. Measurements of azimuth and slowness for tremor recorded on the small-aperture array indicate a bimodal nature of the observed wavefield. At frequencies below 2Hz, the wavefield is dominated by body waves impinging the array with steep incidence. These arrivals are attributed to the oceanic microseismic noise. In the 2–6Hz band, the wavefield is dominated by waves propagating from sources located at shallow depths (<1km) beneath the eastern edge of the Halemaumau pit crater. The hypocenter of the LP event, determined from frequency-slowness analyses combined with phase picks, appears to be located close to the source of tremor but at a shallower depth (<0.1km). The wavefields of tremor and LP event are characterized by a complex composition of body and surface waves, whose propagation and polarization properties are strongly affected by topographic and structural features in the summit caldera region. Analyses of the directional properties of the wavefield in the 2–6Hz band point to the directions of main scattering sources, which are consistent with pronounced velocity contrasts imaged in a high-resolution three-dimensional velocity model of the caldera region. The frequency and Q of the dominant peak observed in the spectra of the LP event may be explained as the dominant oscillation mode of a crack with scale length 20–100m and aperture of a few centimeters filled with bubbly water. The mechanism driving the shallow tremor appears to be consistent with a sustained excitation originating in the oscillations of a bubble cloud resulting from vesiculation and degassing in the magma.