Earliest detection of magma movements by measuring transient streaming potential

Volcanic eruptions are generally preceded by magma intrusion. Volcanic forecasting is sure to make considerable progress if we have a practical means to detect magma movements. Electric potential variations have been observed since April 1999 at Miyake Island, a volcanic island in Japan. Measurements have been conducted by a special long vertical antenna using a steel casing pipe and a short horizontal dipole. Beginning about half a day before as well as at the time period of the largest eruption in 2000 of Miyake-jima volcano on August 18, 2000, conspicuous electric field variations were observed on the horizontal and vertical components in the frequency bands of DC, ULF and ELF/VLF. And several types of anomalies were found to occur in association with different stage of volcanic activities. We suggest that transient self-potential variations are induced by confined ground water pressure fluctuations through interaction between intruding magma and hydrothermal circulation through electro-kinetic effect. Subsurface transient self-potential measurement has been suggested to be useful means for monitoring volcanic eruption and to provide an efficient window for looking into modification of hydrothermal circulation induced by the volcanic activity.