Finally, Clague et al. (2011) used theMBARI D. Allan B. AUV to investigate
volcanic processes and products of West Mata Volcano in the
northern Lau Basin. High-resolution AUV bathymetry data were used
to image the fine-scale morphology of the volcano's eruptive vents with the same AUV, thereby allowing the spatial extent, thickness and
morphology of new lava flows to be detected. Mapping data were subsequently
ground-truthed with ROV video and samples. The ability to
map individual flows provided new insights into flow behaviour, including
indicators for both high and low eruption rates during the
same event, reactivation of pre-existing fissures, and reoccupation of
pre-existing channels. The reoccupation of pre-existing flow channels
highlights the difficulty of mapping products of individual eruptive
events without high-quality ‘before-and-after’ bathymetric surveys.