9316499 Elders This project involves the coordination of the participation of U.S. scientists in an international consortium from New Zealand, Japan and the USA which will carry out shallow research drilling on White Island, which is one of the world's most active, but accessible, andesite volcanoes. White Island is in the Bay of Plenty at the northern extension of the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand. Unlike other frequently active volcanoes, such as Kilauea and Etna, it is a "wet" system, i.e., its behavior is dominated by the interaction of shallow magma with meteoric water. As this system is highly compressed relative to those found in typical high-relief volcanoes, by drilling to depths of only hundreds of meters on White Island, it will be possible to study and directly sample the interface between an andesite magma and a geothermal system. ***
