Imaging the Absorbing Feeding and Eruptive Pathways of Deception Island, Antarctica

Deception Island is one of the most active and best-documented volcanoes in Antarctica. Since its
last eruption in 1970, several geophysical surveys have targeted reconstructing its magmatic systems. However,
geophysics fails to reconstruct the pathways magma and fluids follow from depth to erupt at the surface. Here,
novel data selection strategies and multi-frequency absorption inversions have been framed in a Geographical
Information System, using all available geological (vents and faults distribution), geochemical and geophysical
knowledge of the volcano. The result is the detection of these eruptive pathways. The model offers the first
image of the magma and associated fluids pathways feed the 1967, 1969, and 1970 eruptions. Results suggest
that future ascending paths might lead to active research bases and zones of planned helicopter rescue. The
connection between seismic absorption, temperature, and fluid content makes it a promising attribute for
detecting and monitoring eruptions at active calderas.