Michael Poland

Geophysicist at U.S. Geological Survey

Areas of expertise

- My primary area of expertise is volcano geodesy -- that is, the analysis of deformation and gravity change at active volcanoes.
- I am particularly interested in InSAR and gravity, and how these tools can be used to better understand subsurface magma accumulation and transport.
- I also seek to integrate geodetic and other datasets to form the best possible picture of the underlying causes of specific episodes of volcanic activity.

Major works

My position with the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Science Center has exposed me to a number of volcanic crises in the USA. I was on the staff of the Cascades Volcano Observatory during the reawakening of Mount St. Helens in 2004, and while at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory I was an active participant in hazards assessment activities during numerous changes in eruptive activity at Kilauea during 2005-2015, including the 2014-2015 Pahoa lava flow crisis. I have also assisted with responses to a number of other volcanic eruptions in the USA, including Augustine, Alaska (2006), Redoubt, Alaska (2009), and Kilauea, Hawaii (2018).

Social links

About me

I am a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, currently based at the Cascades Volcano Observatory. My specific responsibility is coordinating research and monitoring activities at Yellowstone, and I serve as the Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Prior to the Cascades, I spent 10 years as the staff geodesist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.