Le Merapi, sur l'île indonésienne de Java, est l'un des volcans les plus actifs au monde. Ses pentes sont densément habitées jusqu'à un rayon de 4 km autour du sommet, et plus de 50 000 personnes vivent dans la zone la plus dangereuse (KRB III), exposée aux coulées et déferlantes pyroclastiques, un des aléas volcaniques les plus meurtriers. Dans ce contexte, l'évacuation temporaire des zones menacées est, en cas d'éruption, le seul moyen envisageable de réduction du risque pour les populations. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'analyser les réponses institutionnelles et communautaires déployées face aux crises volcaniques au Merapi, en particulier lors de l'éruption majeure de 2010. L'évaluation de ces réponses et des capacités de gestion de crise repose sur des retours d'expérience d'éruptions récentes, surtout celle de 2010, dont le vécu a permis de recueillir des données de première main sous forme de questionnaires, entretiens, discussions de groupe et maquette participative en trois dimensions. Les résultats présentés portent dans un premier temps sur l'analyse des facteurs de toutes natures (socioéconomiques, politiques, culturels, fonctionnels, etc.) susceptibles d'influencer la décision d'évacuer et le déroulement des évacuations, en nous fondant notamment sur des analyses rétrospectives sur les éruptions de 1994 et 2006. Dans un second temps, nous décortiquons la gestion de crise et en particulier le processus d'évacuation lors de l'éruption de 2010. Dans un dernier temps, cette thèse propose des modélisations d'évacuation à deux échelles: celle du massif volcanique et celle d'une localité, ceci dans une démarche prospective. Ces analyses permettent au final de mettre en évidence les lacunes dans la gestion des évacuations lors des crises volcaniques en Indonésie, et de proposer des améliorations pour une meilleure préparation aux niveaux institutionnel et communautaire. / Merapi volcano, located in the Java Island, Indonesia, is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its slopes are densely populated until a 4 km radius around the summit. More than 50,000 people living in the most dangerous area (KRB III) are exposed to pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), one of the deadliest volcanic hazards. ln this context, temporary evacuation of the threatened zone, during eruption, is the only possible way to reduce the risk of population. The objective of this thesis is to analyze the institutional and community responses in coping with volcanic crises, especially during the 2010 major eruption of Merapi. An evaluation of these responses and capacities of crisis management was done based on the lessons learned from recent eruptions, especially the 2010. First-hand data were obtained using questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and participatory three-dimensional map. In the first place, the results of this thesis were built upon the analysis of the factors influencing evacuation decision and the evacuation process, notably based on the 1994 and 2006 eruptions. Secondly, we studied the cri sis management and, in particular, the evacuation process during the 2010 eruption. Finally, we conducted evacuation modeling, in a term of forward-looking approach, at two scales: on the entire volcano and local level. This analysis highlights the gaps in evacuation management during volcanic crisis in Indonesia and suggests improvements for better preparation for institutional and community levels.

Le dioxyde de soufre (SO2) est un des principaux gaz émis lors des éruptions volcaniques. Au Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion) environ 230 kT de SO2 ont été libérés pour la seule éruption d'avril 2007. Ces émissions ont provoqué d'importants problèmes sanitaires associés à des dégradations des infrastructures et des écosystèmes. Les mesures de SO2 réalisées par l'ORA ont relevé des concentrations supérieures aux seuils critiques pour la santé mais pas aux périodes où l'éruption était la plus intense. SO2 étude consiste à utiliser le modèle meso-échelle atmosphérique Meso-NH pour simuler le transport de SO2 entre le 2 et le 7 avril, avec une attention portée sur l'influence des flux de chaleur provenant des coulées de lave. Trois domaines sont imbriqués de 2 km à 100m de résolution horizontale. Cette étude de modélisation couple simultanément (i) la dynamique atmosphérique de méso-échelle Meso-NH, (ii) un module de chimie en phase gazeuse et phase aqueuse, et (iii) un modèle de surface simulant une propagation de coulée de lave. Tous les flux (chaleur, vapeur, SO2, CO2 et HCl) sont déclenchés en ligne et sont fonction de la dynamique du front de propagation. Nos simulations reproduisent les observations des concentrations en surface de SO2 pour cette période et diverses analyses de sensibilité montrent que la distribution de soufre a été principalement contrôlée par le flux de chaleur de lave. Les dernières simulations incluent la modélisation du panache de vapeur d'eau lors de l'entrée de la lave en mer. Enfin, deux tests de sensibilités ont été réalisés sur la journée du 5 avril afin d'analyser les interactions dynamiques entre les différentes convections : au cratère et au-dessus de la lave (flux de chaleur sensible) et lors de l'entrée de la lave en mer (flux de chaleur latente). / Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is one of the main gases emitted during volcanic eruptions. The Reunion Island experienced its biggest eruption of Piton de la Fournaise Volcano during April 2007 and this event degassed more than 230 kt of SO2. Theses emissions led to important health issues, accompanied by environmental and infrastructure degradations. SO2 measurements made by the ORA noted higher concentrations than the critical threshold for health but not to periods when the eruption was the most intense. Our study is to use the atmospheric mesoscale model Meso-NH to simulate the transport of SO2 between 2 and 7April, with a focus on the influence of heat flow from lava flows. Three domains are nested from 2km to 100m of horizontal resolution. This modeling study torque simultaneously (i) atmospheric dynamics of mesoscale Meso-NH, (ii) a chemistry module in the gas phase and aqueous phase, and (iii) a surface model simulating a lava flow spread. All flow (heat,vapor, SO2, CO2 and HCl) are triggered online and are function of the dynamics of thepropagation front. Our simulations reproduce the observations of surface concentrations of SO2 for that period and various sensitivity analyzes show that the sulfur distribution was mainly controlled by the lava heat flow. The latest simulations include the modeling of the Laze plume when the lava meet the sea. Finally, two sensitivity tests were performed on the day of April 5 to analyze the dynamic interactions between convections: the crater andover the lava (sensible heat flux) and at the entry of lava into the sea (latent heat flux).

Volcanic rocks typically have only low to moderate arsenic concentrations, none-the-less, elevated levels of arsenic in ground waters have been associated with pyroclastic and volcaniclastic rocks and sediments in many parts of the world. The potential for arsenic leaching from these deposits is particularly problematic as they often comprise important water-bearing units in volcanic terrains. However, the role that chemical and mineralogical variations play in controlling the occurrence and mobility of arsenic from pyroclastic rocks is largely unexplored. This study uses chemical and X-ray diffraction data to characterize and classify 49 samples of ash-flow tuffs, and 11 samples of tuffaceous sediments. The samples exhibit a range of devitrification and chemical weathering. Total and partial digestion, and water extractions of samples are used to determine the total, environmentally available, and readily leachable fractions of arsenic present in all tuff samples. Leaching experiments were also performed with buffered solutions to determine the influence of elevated pH levels on arsenic mobility. The 49 tuff samples have a mean arsenic content of 7.5 mg kg-1, a geometric mean arsenic content of 4.8 mg kg-1, a median arsenic content of 5.2 mg kg-1, and a maximum arsenic concentration of 81 mg kg-1. The mean and median values are 2.8 - 4.4x the average crustal abundance of 1.7 mg kg-1 (Wedepohl, 1995), and consistent with previously reported values for volcanic glasses and felsic volcanic rocks (Onishi and Sandell, 1955; Wedepohl, 1995), although the maximum arsenic content is higher than previously reported (e.g., Casentini et al., 2010; Fiantis et al., 2010; Nobel et al., 2004). In addition, the arsenic concentrations of tuffs were found to be highly heterogenous, both between and within individual units, and in some cases, individual outcrops. Results of whole rock and leachate analyses indicate that there is no significant difference in the total arsenic content of tuffs as a result of devitrification or weathering, but both devitrified and weathered tuffs contain higher levels of environmentally available arsenic than unweathered glassy tuffs. Glassy tuffs did not produce any readily leachable arsenic, while individual devitrified and weathered tuffs both generated aqueous concentrations that exceeded regulatory limits after 18 hours. Leaching of weathered tuffs produced higher levels of arsenic at high (~9-11) pH than in tests conducted at circum-neutral pH. Devitrified and glassy tuffs showed no increase in leachable arsenic with increasing pH. The results of this study indicate that devitrification and weathering processes determine the host phases, degree of adsorption, and overall mobility of arsenic from ash-flow tuffs. Tuffs that have undergone different types of alteration are likely to have different host phases of arsenic, and different mechanisms that mobilize arsenic into the environment. Potential host phases and mobility mechanisms are discussed, and a conceptual model of arsenic behavior in ash-flow tuffs is proposed.

Silicic volcanism in the central Oregon Cascade range has decreased in both the size and frequency of eruptions from its initiation at ~40 Ma to present. The reasons for this reduction in silicic volcanism are poorly constrained. Studies of the petrogenesis of these magmas have the potential for addressing this question by providing insight into the processes responsible for producing and erupting silicic magmas. This study focuses on two extensive and well-preserved ash-flow tuffs from within the ~4-8 Ma Deschutes Formation of central Oregon, which formed after the transition from Western Cascade volcanism to the modern High Cascade. Documentation of outcrop extent, outcrop thickness, clast properties, and samples provide the means to estimate a source location, minimum erupted volumes, and to constrain eruptive processes. Major and trace element chemistry of glass and minerals constrain the petrogenesis and chemical evolution of the system. The tuffs selected for this study, the Lower Bridge and McKenzie Canyon, are the first known silicic units originating from the Cascade Arc following the reorganization from Western Cascade to High Cascade Volcanism at ~8 Ma. These eruptions were significant in producing a minimum of ~5 km�� DRE each within a relatively short timeframe. These tuffs are sourced from some vent or edifices related to the Three Sisters Volcanic Complex, and capture an early phase of the volcanic history of that region. The chemical composition of the tuffs indicates that the Lower Bridge erupted predominately rhyolitic magma with dacitic magma occurring only in small quantities in the latest stage of the eruption while McKenzie Canyon Tuff erupted first as a rhyolite and transitioned to a basaltic andesite with co-mingling and incomplete mixing of the two magma types. Major and trace element concentrations in minerals and glass indicate that the basaltic andesite and rhyolite of the McKenzie Canyon Tuff were well convected and stored in separate chambers. Geothermometry of the magmas indicate that the rhyolites are considerably warmer (~850��) than typical arc rhyolites. Trace element compositions indicate that both the Lower Bridge and McKenzie Canyon Tuff experienced mixing between a mantle derived basaltic melt and a rhyolitic partial melt derived from gabbroic crust. Rhyolites of the Lower Bridge Tuff incorporate 30-50% partial melt following 0->60% fractionation of mantle derived melts. The McKenzie Canyon Tuff incorporates 50-100% of a partial melt of a mafic crust with up to 15% post mixing fractionation. The results of this study suggest that production of voluminous silicic magmas within the Cascade Arc crust requires both fractionation of incoming melts from the mantle together with mixing with partial melts of the crust. This provides a potential explanation for the decrease in silicic melt production rates from the Western Cascades to the High Cascades related to declining subduction rate. As convergence along the Cascade margin became more oblique during the Neogene, the consequent slowing rate of mantle melt production will result in a net cooling of the crust, inhibiting the production of rhyolitic partial melts. Without these partial melts to provide the rhyolitic end member to the system, the system will evolve to the mafic melt and fractionation dominated regime that has existed along Cascadia throughout the Quaternary. / Graduation date: 2013

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a gas typical of high temperature magmatic degassing, being its<p>third most abundant constituent after water vapor and carbon dioxide. SO2 flux measurements<p>are used to characterized and monitor volcanic degassing. This thesis presents advanced<p>methods for measuring the SO2 emitted in the troposphere by passive degassing volcanoes.<p>These methods are based on the absorption of infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) light by SO2<p>molecules. They make use of the data acquired by satellite borne sensors (ASTER, OMI and<p>MODIS), and collected in the field using a UV camera equipped with filters<p>ASTER is a multispectral sensor observing the Earth in the thermal IR with a 90 m<p>ground resolution. The developed retrieval algorithm works with band ratios<p>(B10+B12)/2B11 and B14/B11, to avoid spectral interference from other variables than SO2.<p>With this algorithm, the impact of interferers such as atmospheric water vapor, sulfate<p>aerosols and ground emissivity is minimal, as demonstrated by radiative transfer simulations<p>by applying of the algorithm to real ASTER images and by comparing the results with ground<p>based data. ASTER is a kind of unifying thread for this thesis because its high ground<p>resolution fills the gap existing between highly localized ground based SO2 measurements and<p>the global coverage of other satellites with coarser pixels such as OMI and MODIS.<p>OMI is an imaging spectrometer operating in the UV, with a daily global coverage, a<p>high sensitivity to SO2 and a ground resolution of 13x24km. The OMI-ASTER comparison<p>shows that the SO2 columns measured on OMI pixels are two orders of magnitude smaller<p>than those of ASTER, because of the huge difference in the pixel size of the two satellites.<p>The flux measurements however are generally in good agreement. The analysis of a large<p>number of images shows that ASTER is better for cloud free scenes while OMI has an<p>optimal signal to noise ratio when the plume is lying above a low cloud cover. A practical<p>detection limit for SO2 flux measurements in tropospheric plumes has also been established:<p>5kg/s.<p>The comparison between ASTER measurements of SO2 column amounts with those of<p>MODIS (a multispectral IR imager with 1km ground resolution) shed light on systematic<p>errors in MODIS measurements. These errors were quantified and their origins were separated<p>and identified. This work demonstrates the limitations of MODIS for SO2 measurements.<p>A UV camera equipped with filters has also been developed to achieve 2D SO2 from the<p>ground at a high spatial and temporal resolution. The potential provided by this new type of<p>instruments has been demonstrated during a field campaign on Turrialba Volcano (Costa<p>Rica). The integration of measurements obtained using the camera, ASTER and OMI revealed<p>a high and sustained SO2 flux, which can be explained only by the degassing of a recently<p>intruded magma body. The slow decrease of SO2 flux since January 2010 suggests a<p>progressive exhaustion of the volatile content of the magma.<p>Finally, we applied the band ratio algorithm to a series of ASTER images of the recent<p>eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in April-May 2010. The SO2 measurements provide interesting<p>insights into the complex eruptive dynamics and into the control of hydromagmatic<p>interactions on eruptive gas release into the atmosphere. /<p><p>Le dioxyde de soufre (SO2) est un gaz typique du dégazage magmatique de haute<p>température, dont il est le troisième composant le plus abondant derrière H2O et CO2. Le flux<p>de SO2 est un excellent paramètre pour caractériser le dégazage volcanique et surveiller son<p>évolution dans le temps. Cette thèse présente de nouvelles méthodes de mesures des flux de<p>SO2 émis par l’activité volcanique. Ces méthodes se basent sur l’absorption de la molécule de<p>SO2 dans l’infrarouge (IR) et l’ultraviolet (UV). Elles utilisent les données prises par des<p>senseurs embarqués sur des satellites (ASTER, OMI et MODIS) ou opérés depuis le sol<p>(caméra UV munie de filtres).<p>Le senseur ASTER opère dans l’IR thermique avec une résolution spatiale de 90 m par<p>pixel. L’algorithme de mesure développé pour ce satellite n’est sensible qu’à la concentration<p>en SO2 et pratiquement pas aux paramètres interférents qui posaient problèmes aux méthodes<p>existantes :la vapeur d’eau atmosphérique, les aérosols de sulfate dans le panache et<p>l’émissivité de la surface sous-jacente. ASTER est un peu le fil conducteur de cette thèse, car<p>sa haute résolution spatiale lui permet de faire le lien entre des mesures au sol et les mesures<p>faites par d’autres satellites comme OMI et MODIS.<p>Le satellite OMI est un spectromètre imageant qui opère dans l’UV, avec une<p>couverture globale journalière, une haute sensitivité au SO2 et une résolution spatiale de<p>13x24km. La comparaison OMI-ASTER montre que les colonnes mesurées sur les pixels<p>d’OMI sont de deux ordres de grandeur inférieurs à celles d’ASTER, à cause de la différence<p>de résolution spatiale entre les deux satellites. Les mesures de flux, par contre, montrent une<p>très bonne concordance. L’analyse d’un grand nombre d’images a permis d’établir qu’ASTER<p>est meilleur pour des scènes sans nuages tandis qu’OMI est meilleur quand une couverture<p>nuageuse présente sous le panache augmente son rapport signal sur bruit. Une limite de<p>détection pratique a aussi été établie pour les flux de SO2 dans les panaches volcaniques dans<p>la basse troposphère :5kg/s.<p>La comparaison des mesures d’ASTER avec celle de MODIS a permis de démontrer les<p>limites de MODIS pour la mesure du SO2. Des erreurs systématiques sur les mesures de<p>MODIS on été mises en évidence et quantifiées. Ces erreurs sont dues aux interférents<p>spectraux que sont la vapeur d’eau atmosphérique et les aérosols sulfatés. L’émissivité est<p>aussi un important facteur d’erreur pour MODIS.<p>Une caméra UV équipée d’un système de filtres a également été développée pour<p>mesurer le SO2 en 2D, à haute résolution spatiale et temporelle. Le potentiel offert par ce<p>nouveau type d’instrument a été démontré lors d’une campagne de mesures sur le volcan<p>Turrialba (Costa Rica). La combinaison de mesures de SO2 réalisée avec la caméra, ASTER<p>et OMI a permis de mettre en évidence des flux très élevés (30-50kg/s) qui ne peuvent<p>s’expliquer que par une intrusion récente de magma juvénile en cours de dégazage.<p>Enfin, les mesures de SO2 ont réalisées à partir des images ASTER pendant l’éruption<p>du volcan Eyjafjallajökull en avril-mai 2010. Ces mesures fournissent des informations<p>intéressantes sur les dynamismes éruptifs qui se sont succédé et sur le contrôle des émissions<p>de SO2 dans l’atmosphère par les interactions magma-eau. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Master of Science / Department of Geology / Matthew W. Totten / Sedimentary beds rich in volcanic ash have been reported throughout Kansas. It is believed the source of these ashes are the large-scale eruptions from the Yellowstone Calderas. Very few of these ash units have been dated, however, and the vast majority simply reported as “Pearlette Ash.” The objective of this research was to investigate the potential of trace element geochemistry in correlating individual ash outcrops in Kansas to their eruptive source. Thirty-six previously reported ash occurrences of unknown age in Kansas were reoccupied and sampled. In addition, three unreported ash deposits were discovered and sampled. Two ash units previously identified as Huckleberry Ridge-aged and three as Lava Creek B were also collected. The samples were processed using the method of Hanan and Totten (1998) to concentrate ash shards. These ash concentrates were analyzed for specific trace and rare earth element (REE) concentrations using inductively coupled mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) at the University of Kansas. The ash samples from known eruptions have distinct trace and REE signatures, allowing comparison to the unknown ash units. Most of the unknown ash samples correlate with specific Yellowstone eruptions. The majority of the undifferentiated “Pearlette Ash” samples correlate with the most recent Lava Creek B eruption and several unknown ashes correlate to the Huckleberry Ridge eruption. The distribution of ash units in Kansas being dominated by Lava Creek (0.60 ma) is expected because it is the most recent of the Yellowstone eruptions. The abundance of the older Huckleberry Ridge (2.10 ma) over the more recent Mesa Falls (1.27 ma) is likely the result of the much larger Huckleberry Ridge eruption.

Paleomagnetic directions have been obtained from 190 Middle Miocene (12-20 Ma) mafic volcanic flows in 16 mountain ranges in the Mojave-Sonora desert region of western Arizona and southeastern California. These flows generally postdate Early Miocene tectonic deformation accommodated by low-angle normal faults but predate high-angle normal faulting in the region. After detailed magnetic cleaning experiments, 179 flows yielded characteristic thermal remanent magnetism (TRM) directions. Because of the episodic nature of basaltic volcanism in this region, the 179 flows yield only 65 time-distinct virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs). The angular dispersion of the VGPs is consistent with the angular dispersion expected for a data set that has adequately averaged geomagnetic secular variation. The paleomagnetic pole calculated from the 65 cooling unit VGPs is located at 85.5°N, 108.9°E within a 4.4° circle of 95% confidence. This pole is statistically indistinguishable (at 95% confidence) from reference poles calculated from similar-age rocks in stable North America and from a paleomagnetic pole calculated from similar-age rocks in Baja and southern California. From the coincidence of paleomagnetic poles from the Mojave-Sonora and adjacent areas, we can conclude that: (1) vertical-axis tectonic rotations have not accompanied high-angle normal faulting in this region; (2) there has been no latitudinal transport of the region since 12-20 Ma; and (3) long-term nondipole components of the Miocene geomagnetic field probably were no larger than those of the recent (0-5 Ma) geomagnetic field. In contrast, paleomagnetic data of other workers indicate vertical-axis rotations of similar-age rocks in the Transverse Ranges, the Eastern Transverse Ranges, and the Mojave Block. We speculate that a major discontinuity in the vicinity of the southeastward projection of the Death Valley Fault Zone separates western areas affected by vertical-axis rotations from eastern areas that have not experienced such rotations.

Abstract not available

Ngauruhoe is an active basaltic andesite to andesite composite cone volcano at the southern end of the Tongariro volcanic complex, and most recently erupted in 1954-55 and 1974-75. These eruptions constructed the inner crater of Ngauruhoe, largely composed of 1954-55 deposits, which are the basis of this study. The inner crater stratigraphy, exposed on the southern wall, is divided into seven lithostratigraphic units (A to G), while the northern stratigraphy is obscured by the inward collapse of the crater rim. The units are, from oldest to youngest: Unit A, (17.5 m thick), a densely agglutinated spatter deposit with sharp clast outlines; Unit B, (11.2 m) a thick scoria lapilli deposit with local agglutination and scattered spatter bombs up to 1 m in length; Unit C, (6.4 m thick) a clastogenic lava deposit with lateral variations in agglutination; and Unit D, (10 m thick) a scoria lapilli with varying local agglutination. The overlying Unit E (15 cm thick) is a fine ash fallout bed that represents the final vulcanian phase of the 1954-55 eruption. Unit F is a series of six lapilli and ash beds that represent the early vulcanian episode of the 1974-75 eruption. The uppermost Unit G (averaging 10 m thick) is a densely agglutinated spatter deposit that represents the later strombolian phase of the 1974-75 eruption. Units A-D juvenile clasts are porphyritic, with phenocrysts of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, minor olivine, within a microlitic glassy groundmass. Quartzose and greywacke xenoliths are common in most units, and are derived from the underlying basement. The 1954-55 and 1974-75 eruptions are a product of a short-lived, continental arc medium-K calc-alkaline magma. The magma originated from the mantle, then filtered through the crust, undergoing assimilation and fractionation, and evolving to basaltic andesite and andesite compositions. The magma body stagnated in shallow reservoirs where it underwent further crustal assimilation and fractionation of plagioclase and olivine, and homogenisation through magma mixing. Prior to the 1954-55 eruption a more primitive magma body was incorporated into the melt. The melt homogenised and fed both the 1954-55 and 1974-75 eruptions, with a residence time of at least 20 years. The 1954-55 eruption produced alternating basaltic andesite and andesite strombolian activity and more intense fire fountaining, erupting scoria and spatter that built up the bulk of the inner crater. A period of relative quiescence allowed the formation of a cooled, solid cap rock that resulted in the accumulation of pressure due to volatile exsolution and bubble coalescence. The fracturing of the cap rock then resulted in a vulcanian eruption, depositing a thin layer of fine ash and ballistic blocks. The 1974-75 eruption commenced with the rupturing of the near-solid cap rock from the 1954-55 eruption in an explosive vulcanian blast, the result of decompressional volatile exsolution and bubble coalescence, and possible magma-water interaction. The eruption later changed to strombolian style, producing a clastogenic lava that partially flowed back into the crater.

The basement of the Tonga intraoceanic forearc comprises Eocene arc volcanic crust formed during the earliest phases of subduction. Volcanic rocks recovered from the forearc include boninites and arc tholeiites, apparently erupted into and upon older mid-oceanic ridge tholeiites. Rock assemblages suggest that the forearc basement is a likely analog for large supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites not only in structure and Ethology, but also in the style of hydrothermal alteration. Dredged volcanic samples from the central Tonga forearc (20-24�� S) exhibit the effects of seafloor weathering, low (<200��C, principally <100��C) alteration, and high temperature (>200��C) alteration. Tholeiites and arc tholeiites are significantly more altered than boninites. Seafloor weathering is due to extensive interaction with cold oxidizing seawater, and is characterized by red-brown staining and the presence of Fe-oxyhydroxides. Low temperature alteration is due to circulation of evolving seawater-derived fluids through the volcanic section until fluid pathways were closed by secondary mineral precipitation. Low temperature alteration is characterized by smectites, celadonite, phillipsite, mixed-layer smectite/chlorite, carbonates, and silica. All phases fill veins and cavities; clay minerals and silica also replace the mesostasis and groundmass phases. Low temperature alteration enriches the bulk rock in K, Ba, and Na, and mobilizes other elements to varying extents. The few high temperature samples are characterized by mobilizes other elements to varying extents. The few high temperature samples are characterized by epidote, chlorite, quartz, oxides, and fibrous amphibole, which replace groundmass and phenocrysts, and fill cavities, and are presumed to have originated in zones of concentrated hydrothermal upflow.These three alteration types are similar to those seen in many ophiolites such as Troodos, where low temperatures prevailed in the volcanic section except in localized upflow zones. Alteration mineral chemistries are also broadly similar to those observed for the Troodos Ophiolite. Tonga forearc alteration differs from mid-oceanic ridge alteration in the presence of Al-rich dioctahedral smectites (not common in mid-oceanic ridge crust), the high Al content of saponite, and the predominance of K as an interlayer cation in clays. Hydrothermal alteration of the Tonga forearc is likely the product of extensive interaction with compositionally evolving seawater-derived fluids beginning at the time of emplacement. The distribution and intensity of alteration in these crustal sections depend principally on the porosity and permeability of the crust during alteration, which are influenced by the primary porosity, igneous morphology, and the presence of faults and fractures which could affect fluid flow. / Graduation date: 1999