Volcanic particle aggregation in explosive eruption columns. Part II: Numerical experiments

The goal of this paper is to determine the parameters that control the aggregation efficiency and the growth rate of volcanic particles within the eruption column. Numerical experiments are performed with the plume model ATHAM (Active Tracer High resolution Atmospheric Model). In this study we employ the parameterizations described in a companion paper (this issue). The presence of hydrometeors promotes the aggregation of ash particles, which strongly increases their fall velocities and thus their environmental impact. The tephra mass is about two orders of magnitude greater than that of hydrometeors during typical Plinian eruptions without interaction of external water. Ice is highly dominant in comparison to liquid water (> 99% by mass). This is caused by the fast column rise (> 100 m s^− 1 on average) to very cold altitudes. Most particles occur in the form of frozen aggregates with low ice content.The collection efficiency is governed by the availability of hydrometeors acting as adhesives at the particles’ surface in our study, and wet ash particles have a higher sticking capacity than icy ones. Therefore, aggregation is fastest during the eruption within the column when limited regions of liquid water exist and when particle concentrations are very high (of the order of 10⁵ cm^− 3). Increased humidity in the background atmosphere generally leads to enhanced ice formation, but shows only a weak influence on the aggregation process. First sensitivity studies showed, however, a significant increase of the liquid water fraction when considering salinity effects. The availability of water or ice at the particles' surfaces is also governed by the surface properties, the porosity and permeability of ash, which are not well established to date. Particle growth is significantly enhanced for greater differences in the sizes and fall velocities among particles, as gravitational capture becomes more efficient. Our experiments indicate a major influence of the erupted particle size distribution. First sensitivity studies show that electrostatic forces result in a significant enhancement of aggregated particles.The present exploratory study provides new insights into the sensitivity of the ash aggregation process to a number of key parameters. Our results indicate the need of further constraining particle composition, size, porosity, permeability, and surface properties at low temperatures by in situ observations in the laboratory and in the field. In addition further research on electrostatic aggregation would be desirable.     

Growth of volcanic ash aggregates in the presence of liquid water and ice: an experimental approach

Key processes influencing the aggregation of volcanic ash and hydrometeors are examined with an experimental method employing vibratory pan aggregation. Mechanisms of aggregation in the presence of hail and ice pellets, liquid water (≤30?wt%), and mixed water phases are investigated at temperatures of 18 and ?20?°C. The experimentally generated aggregates, examined in hand sample, impregnated thin sections, SEM imagery, and X-ray microtomography, closely match natural examples from phreatomagmatic phases of the 27?ka Oruanui and 2010 Eyjafjallaj?kull eruptions. Laser diffraction particle size analysis of parent ash and aggregates is also used to calculate the first experimentally derived aggregation coefficients that account for changing liquid water contents and subzero temperatures. These indicate that dry conditions (<5–10?wt% liquid) promote strongly size selective collection of sub-63?μm particles into aggregates (given by aggregation coefficients >1). In contrast, liquid-saturated conditions (>15–20?wt% liquid) promote less size selective processes. Crystalline ice was also capable of preferentially selecting volcanic ash <31?μm under liquid-free conditions in a two-stage process of electrostatic attraction followed by ice sintering. However, this did not accumulate more than a monolayer of ash at the ice surface. These quantitative relationships may be used to predict the timescales and characteristics of aggregation, such as aggregate size spectra, densities, and constituent particle size characteristics, when the initial size distribution and water content of a volcanic cloud are known. The presence of an irregularly shaped, millimeter-scale vacuole at the center of natural aggregates was also replicated during interaction of ash and melting ice pellets, followed by sublimation. Fine-grained rims were formed by adding moist aggregates to a dry mixture of sub-31?μm ash, which adhered by electrostatic forces and sparse liquid bridges. From this, we infer that the fine-grained outer layers of natural aggregates reflect recycled exposure of moist aggregates to regions of volcanic clouds that are relatively dry and dominated by <31?μm ash.     

The origin of accretionary lapilli

Experimental investigations in a recirculating wind tunnel of the mechanisms of formation of accretionary lapilli have demonstrated that growth is controlled by collision of liquid-coated particles, due to differences in fall velocities, and binding as a result of surface tension forces and secondary mineral growth. The liquids present on particle surfaces in eruption plumes are acid solutions stable at 100% relative humidity, from which secondary minerals, e.g. calcium sulphate and sodium chloride, precipitate prior to impact of accretionary lapilli with the ground. Concentric grain-size zones within accretionary lapilli build up due to differences in the supply of particular particle sizes during aggregate growth. Accretionary lapilli do not evolve by scavenging of particles by liquid drops followed by evaporation — a process which, in wind tunnel experiments, generates horizontally layered hemispherical aggregates. Size analysis of particles in the wind tunnel air stream and particles adhering to growing aggregates demonstrate that the aggregation coefficient is highly grain-size dependent. Theoretical simulation of accretionary lapilli growth in eruption plumes predicts maximum sizes in the range 0.7–20 mm for ash cloud thicknesses of 0.5–10 km respectively.     

Preliminary sensitivity study of eruption source parameters for operational volcanic ash cloud transport and dispersion models — A case study of the August 1992 eruption of the Crater Peak vent, Mount Spurr, Alaska

Ash clouds are one of the major hazards that result from volcanic eruptions. Once an eruption is reported, volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) models are used to forecast the location of the ash cloud. These models require source parameters to describe the ash column for initialization. These parameters include: eruption cloud height and vertical distribution, particle size distribution, and start and end time of the eruption. Further, if downwind concentrations are needed, the eruption mass rate and/or volume of ash need to be known. Upon notification of an eruption, few constraints are typically available on many of these source parameters. Recently, scientists have defined classes of eruption types, each with a set of pre-defined eruption source parameters (ESP). We analyze the August 18, 1992 eruption of the Crater Peak vent at Mount Spurr, Alaska, which is the example case for the Medium Silicic eruption type. We have evaluated the sensitivity of two of the ESP – the grain size distribution (GSD) and the vertical distribution of ash – on the modeled ash cloud. HYSPLIT and Puff VATD models are used to simulate the ash clouds from the different sets of source parameters. We use satellite data, processed through the reverse absorption method, as reference for computing statistics that describe the modeled-to-observed comparison. With the grain size distribution, the three options chosen, (1) an estimated distribution based on past eruption studies, (2) a distribution with finer particles and (3) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration HYSPLIT GSD, have little effect on the modeled ash cloud. For the initial vertical distribution, both linear (uniform concentration throughout the vertical column) and umbrella shapes were chosen. For HYSPLIT, the defined umbrella distribution (no ash below the umbrella), apparently underestimates the lower altitude portions of the ash cloud and as a result has a worse agreement with the satellite detected ash cloud compared to that with the linear vertical distribution for this particular eruption. The Puff model, with a Poisson function to represent the umbrella cloud, gave similar results as for a linear distribution, both having reasonable agreement with the satellite detected cloud. Further sensitivity studies of this eruption, as well as studies using the other source parameters, are needed.     

Weather radar observations of the Hekla 2000 eruption cloud,Iceland

The Hekla eruption cloud on 26–27 February 2000 was the first volcanic cloud to be continuously and completely monitored advecting above Iceland, using the C-band weather radar near the Keflavík international airport. Real-time radar observations of the onset, advection, and waning of the eruption cloud were studied using time series of PPI (plan-position indicator) radar images, including VMI normal, Echotop, and Cappi level 2 displays. The reflectivity of the entire volcanic cloud ranges from 0 to >60 dBz. The eruption column above the vent is essentially characterised by VMI normal and Cappi level 2 values, >30 dBz, due to the dominant influence of lapilli and ash (tephra) on the overall reflected signal. The cloud generated by the column was advected downwind to the north-northeast. It is characterised by values between 0 and 30 dBz, and the persistence of these reflections likely result from continuing water condensation and freezing on ash particles. Echotop radar images of the eruption onset document a rapid ascent of the plume head with a mean velocity of ~30 to 50 m s^–1, before it reached an altitude of ~11–12 km. The evolution of the reflected cloud was studied from the area change in pixels of its highly reflected portions, >30 dBz, and tied to recorded volcanic tremor amplitudes. The synchronous initial variation of both radar and seismic signals documents the abrupt increase in tephra emission and magma discharge rate from 18:20 to 19:00 UTC on 26 February. From 19:00 the >45 dBz and 30–45 dBz portions of the reflected cloud decrease and disappear at about 7 and 10.5 h, respectively, after the eruption began, indicating the end of the decaying explosive phase. The advection and extent of the reflected eruption cloud were compared with eyewitness accounts of tephra fall onset and the measured mass of tephra deposited on the ground during the first 12 h. Differences in the deposit map and volcanic cloud radar map are due to the fact that the greater part of the deposit originates by fallout off the column margins and from the base of the cloud followed by advection of falling particle in lower level winds.Editorial responsibility: P. Mouginis-Mark     

Simulation of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens using the ash-tracking model PUFF

The dispersal of volcanic ash from the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH) has been simulated using the Lagrangian ash-tracking model PUFF. Previous applications of the model were limited to smaller, short-lived eruptions with ash dispersal occurring mainly within the troposphere. Two high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis datasets (ERA-40 and NCEP/NCAR-40) allowed MSH ash cloud dispersal to be simulated up to 30 km elevation. The 1980 eruption was divided into two distinct eruptive phases, (1) an initial, relatively short-lived blast/surge phase that injected ash up to 30 km and (2) a subsequent nine-hour plinian phase that maintained an average eruption column height of 16 km. Using PUFF, the two phases of the MSH eruption were modeled separately based on a range of individual input parameters and then combined to produce an integrated simulation of the entire eruption. The trajectory and areal extent of the modeled atmospheric ash cloud best match the actual distribution of MSH ash when input parameters are set to values inferred from satellite and radar data collected on May 18, 1980. The prevailing wind field exerts the strongest control on the advection and ultimate position of the modeled ash cloud, making the maximum column height and the vertical distribution of ash the most sensitive of the PUFF input parameters for this event. The results indicate that the PUFF model works well at simulating the dispersal of ash injected well into the lower stratosphere from a moderate, relatively long-lived eruption, such as MSH. However, attempts to use PUFF to recreate some granulometric aspects of the MSH fallout deposit, such as the maximum particle size as a function of distance from source, were not successful. PUFF consistently predicts much greater fallout distances for small ash particles (< 500 µm) than actually observed in the MSH deposit. The effective settling velocities used by the PUFF model appear to be too slow to accurately predict fallout distances of small ash particles. As a consequence the PUFF model may overestimate the duration of ash loading in the atmosphere associated with the distal fine ash component of explosive eruptions.     

Discriminating the long distance dispersal of fine ash from sustained columns or near ground ash clouds: The example of the Pomici di Avellino eruption (Somma-Vesuvius,Italy)

Ash samples from tephra layers correlated with the Pomici di Avellino (Avellino Pumice) eruption of Somma-Vesuvius were collected in distal archives and their composition and particle morphology investigated in order to infer their behaviour of transportation and deposition. Differences in composition and particle morphologies were recognised for ash particles belonging to the magmatic Plinian and final phreatomagmatic phases of the eruption. The ash particles were dispersed in opposite directions during the two different phases of the eruption, and these directions are also different from that of coarse-grained fallout deposits. In particular, ash generated during magmatic phase and injected in the atmosphere to form a sustained column shows a prevailing SE dispersion, while ash particles generated during the final phreatomagmatic phase and carried by pyroclastic density currents show a general NW dispersion. These opposite dispersions indicate an ash dispersal influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, the magmatic ash dispersal was first driven by stratospheric wind towards NE and then the falling particles encountered a variable wind field during their settling, which produced the observed preferential SE dispersal. The wind field encountered by the rising ash clouds that accompanied the pyroclastic density currents of the final phreatomagmatic phase was different with respect to that encountered by the magmatic ash, and produced a NW dispersal. These data demonstrate how ash transportation and deposition are greatly influenced by both high and low atmosphere dynamics. In particular, fine-grained particles transported in ash clouds of small-scale pyroclastic density currents may be dispersed over distances and cover areas comparable with those injected into the stratosphere by Plinian, sustained columns. This is a point not completely addressed by present day mitigation plans in case of renewal of activity at Somma-Vesuvius, and can yield important information also for other volcanoes potentially characterised by explosive activity.     

Morphology of ash aggregates from wet pyroclastic surges of the 1982 eruption of El Chichón Volcano, Mexico

The detailed stratigraphic study of the pyroclastic surge units S1, IU, and S3 produced during the most violent phases of the 1982 eruption of El Chichón volcano, contains a complex succession of hydromagmatic events triggered by the interaction of different proportions of magma and external water. Component analyses of the horizons within single units reveal that almost all wet and cohesive horizons contain ash aggregates. Based on their morphology and internal structure four different types of aggregates were distinguished: (a) accretionary lapilli, (b) armored lapilli, (c) irregular aggregates, and (d) cylindrical aggregates. The first three types have been described in the volcanological literature (field and experimental studies); cylindrical forms are reported here for the first time. These hollow cylindrical aggregates consist of concentric layers of crystals and glass fragments set in a finer-grained matrix. They formed around millimeter-size foliage fragments that are locally preserved in the interior of the aggregates as scorched or completely carbonized vestiges. SEM analyses suggest different mechanisms of formation for the four types of aggregates. Irregular aggregates and armored lapilli formed nearly instantaneously, whereas accretionary lapilli and cylindrical aggregates resulted from progressive aggregation of ash in different regions of the eruptive cloud.All types of ash aggregates contain fractured particles. This common feature suggests that particles ruptured during fragmentation prior to the growth of the aggregates. Broken clasts with cracks filled by a fine-grained matrix only occur inside the cylindrical ash aggregates and to a lesser degree in some types of accretionary lapilli. This suggests that small thermal contrasts at the contact of warm particles with the colder fine-grained matrix of the aggregate cause existing small fractures to propagate and open as the already weakened clasts deform slightly. The occurrence of all four types of aggregates in some horizons indicates that several mechanisms of aggregation occurred nearly simultaneously. The pyroclastic clouds therefore were not only stratified in terms of density but the content of fluid phases also were not uniform. A dark-red, Fe-rich amorphous film (locally rich in P and S) envelops the particles and fosters their preservation in the deposits by forming a hard shell. The composition of this cement reflects the abundance of these elements in acid fluids of hydrothermal systems that were intersected by the conduit during the eruption. In distal areas, fallout aggregates were incorporated by dissipating pyroclastic surges.     

The dynamics and thermodynamics of large ash flows

 Ash flow deposits, containing up to 1000 km³ of material, have been produced by some of the largest volcanic eruptions known. Ash flows propagate several tens of kilometres from their source vents, produce extensive blankets of ash and are able to surmount topographic barriers hundreds of metres high. We present and test a new model of the motion of such flows as they propagate over a near horizontal surface from a collapsing fountain above a volcanic vent. The model predicts that for a given eruption rate, either a slow (10–100 m/s) and deep (1000–3000 m) subcritical flow or a fast (100–200 m/s) and shallow (500–1000 m) supercritical flow may develop. Subcritical ash flows propagate with a nearly constant volume flux, whereas supercritical flows entrain air and become progressively more voluminous. The run-out distance of such ash flows is controlled largely by the mass of air mixed into the collapsing fountain, the degree of fragmentation and the associated rate of loss of material into an underlying concentrated depositional system, and the mass eruption rate. However, in supercritical flows, the continued entrainment of air exerts a further important control on the flow evolution. Model predictions show that the run-out distance decreases with the mass of air entrained into the flow. Also, the mass of ash which may ascend from the flow into a buoyant coignimbrite cloud increases as more air is entrained into the flow. As a result, supercritical ash flows typically have shorter runout distances and more ash is elutriated into the associated coignimbrite eruption columns. We also show that one-dimensional, channellized ash flows typically propagate further than their radially spreading counterparts. As a Plinian eruption proceeds, the erupted mass flux often increases, leading to column collapse and the formation of pumiceous ash flows. Near the critical conditions for eruption column collapse, the flows are shed from high fountains which entrain large quantities of air per unit mass. Our model suggests that this will lead to relatively short ash flows with much of the erupted material being elutriated into the coignimbrite column. However, if the mass flux subseqently increases, then less air per unit mass is entrained into the collapsing fountain, and progressively larger flows, which propagate further from the vent, will develop. Our model is consistent with observations of a number of pyroclastic flow deposits, including the 1912 eruption of Katmai and the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo. The model suggests that many extensive flow sheets were emplaced from eruptions with mass fluxes of 10⁹–10¹⁰ kg/s over periods of 10³–10⁵ s, and that some indicators of flow "mobility" may need to be reinterpreted. Furthermore, in accordance with observations, the model predicts that the coignimbrite eruption columns produced from such ash flows rose between 20 and 40 km. Received: 25 August 1995 / Accepted: 3 April 1996     

Retrieval of volcanic ash particle size, mass and optical depth from a ground-based thermal infrared camera

Volcanoes can emit fine-sized ash particles (1–10 μm radii) into the atmosphere and if they reach the upper troposphere or lower stratosphere, these particles can have deleterious effects on the atmosphere and climate. If they remain within the lowest few kilometers of the atmosphere, the particles can lead to health effects in humans and animals and also affect vegetation. It is therefore of some interest to be able to measure the particle size distribution, mass and other optical properties of fine ash once suspended in the atmosphere. A new imaging camera working in the infrared region between 7–14 μm has been developed to detect and quantify volcanic ash. The camera uses passive infrared radiation measured in up to five spectral channels to discriminate ash from other atmospheric absorbers (e.g. water molecules) and a microphysical ash model is used to invert the measurements into three retrievable quantities: the particle size distribution, the infrared optical depth and the total mass of fine particles. In this study we describe the salient characteristics of the thermal infrared imaging camera and present the first retrievals from field studies at an erupting volcano. An automated ash alarm algorithm has been devised and tested and a quantitative ash retrieval scheme developed to infer particle sizes, infrared optical depths and mass in a developing ash column. The results suggest that the camera is a useful quantitative tool for monitoring volcanic particulates in the size range 1–10 μm and because it can operate during the night, it may be a very useful complement to other instruments (e.g. ultra-violet spectrometers) that only operate during daylight.     

Hazard assessment of far-range volcanic ash dispersal from a violent Strombolian eruption at Somma-Vesuvius volcano, Naples, Italy: implications on civil aviation

Long-range dispersal of volcanic ash can disrupt civil aviation over large areas, as occurred during the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallaj?kull volcano in Iceland. Here we assess the hazard for civil aviation posed by volcanic ash from a potential violent Strombolian eruption of Somma-Vesuvius, the most likely scenario if eruptive activity resumed at this volcano. A Somma-Vesuvius eruption is of concern for two main reasons: (1) there is a high probability (38?%) that the eruption will be violent Strombolian, as this activity has been common in the most recent period of activity (between AD 1631 and 1944); and (2) violent Strombolian eruptions typically last longer than higher-magnitude events (from 3 to 7?days for the climactic phases) and, consequently, are likely to cause prolonged air traffic disruption (even at large distances if a substantial amount of fine ash is produced such as is typical during Vesuvius eruptions). We compute probabilistic hazard maps for airborne ash concentration at relevant flight levels using the FALL3D ash dispersal model and a statistically representative set of meteorological conditions. Probabilistic hazard maps are computed for two different ash concentration thresholds, 2 and 0.2?mg/m³, which correspond, respectively, to the no-fly and enhanced procedure conditions defined in Europe during the Eyjafjallaj?kull eruption. The seasonal influence of ash dispersal is also analysed by computing seasonal maps. We define the persistence of ash in the atmosphere as the time that a concentration threshold is exceeded divided by the total duration of the eruption (here the eruption phase producing a sustained eruption column). The maps of averaged persistence give additional information on the expected duration of the conditions leading to flight disruption at a given location. We assess the impact that a violent Strombolian eruption would have on the main airports and aerial corridors of the Central Mediterranean area, and this assessment can help those who devise procedures to minimise the impact of these long-lasting low-intensity volcanic events on civil aviation.     

Quench rates in air, water, and liquid nitrogen, and inference of temperature in volcanic eruption columns

We apply a geospeedometer previously developed in this lab to investigate cooling rate profiles of rhyolitic samples initially held at 720–750°C and quenched in water, liquid nitrogen, and air. For quench of mm-size samples in liquid nitrogen and in air, the cooling rate is uniform and is controlled by heat transfer in the quench medium instead of heat conduction in the sample. The heat transfer coefficient in ‘static’ air decreases with increasing sample size. For quench of mm-size samples in water, heat transfer in water is rapid and the cooling rate is largely controlled by heat conduction in the sample. Our experimental results are roughly consistent with previous calculations for cooling in air and in water (although constant heat transfer coefficients were used in these calculations), but cooling rate in liquid nitrogen is only 1.8–2.3 times that in ‘static’ air, and slower by a factor of 2 than calculated by previous authors. Cooling rate in compressed airflow is about the same as that in liquid nitrogen. The experimental results are applied to interpret cooling rates of pyroclasts in ash beds of the most recent eruptions of the Mono Craters. Cooling rates of pyroclasts are inversely correlated with sample size and slower than those in air. The results indicate that the hydrous species concentrations of the pyroclasts were frozen in the eruption column, rather than inside ash beds or in flight in ambient air. From the cooling rates, we infer eruption column temperature in a region where and at a time when hydrous species concentrations in a pyroclast were locked in. The temperature ranges from 260 to 570°C for the most recent eruptions of Mono Craters. These are the first estimates of temperatures in volcanic eruption columns. The ability to estimate cooling rates and eruption column temperatures from eruptive products will provide constraints to dynamic models for the eruption columns.     

From soil aggregates to riverine flocs: a laboratory experiment assessing the respective effects of soil type and flow shear stress on particles characteristics

Particles eroded from hillslopes and exported to rivers are recognized to be composite particles of high internal complexity. Their architecture and composition are known to influence their transport behaviour within the water column relative to discrete particles. To‐date, hillslope erosion studies consider aggregates to be stable once they are detached from the soil matrix. However, lowland rivers and estuaries studies often suggest that particle structure and dynamics are controlled by flocculation within the water column. In order to improve the understanding of particle dynamics along the continuum from hillslopes to the lowland river environment, soil particle behaviour was tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Seven flume erosion and deposition experiments, designed to simulate a natural erosive event, and five shear cell experiments were performed using three contrasting materials: two of them were poorly developed and as such can not be considered as soils, whilst the third one was a calcareous brown soil. These experiments revealed that soil aggregates were prone to disaggregation within the water column and that flocculation may affect their size distribution during transport. Large differences in effective particle size were found between soil types during the rising limb of the bed shear stress sequence. Indeed, at the maximum applied bed shear stress, the aggregated particles median diameter was found to be three times larger for the well‐developed soil than for the two others. Differences were smaller in the falling limb, suggesting that soil aggregates underwent structural changes. However, characterization of particles strength parameters showed that these changes did not fully turn soil aggregates into flocs, but rather into hybrid soil aggregate–floc particles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dilute gravity current and rain-flushed ash deposits in the 1.8 ka Hatepe Plinian deposit,Taupo, New Zealand

Two groups of poorly sorted ash-rich beds, previously interpreted as rain-flushed ashes, occur in the ca. AD 180 Hatepe Plinian pumice fall deposit at Taupo volcano, New Zealand. Two ash beds with similar dispersal patterns and an aggregate thickness of up to 13 cm make up the lowermost group (A). Group A beds extend 45 km north-east of the vent and cover 290 km². In the southern part of the group A distribution area, a coarse ash to lapilli-size Plinian pumice bed (deposit B) separates the two group A beds. The scarcity of lapilli (material seen elsewhere from the still-depositing pumice fall) in group A beds indicates that they were rapidly transported and deposited. However, this rapid transportation and deposition did not produce cross-bedding, nor did it erode the underlying deposits. It is proposed that thick (>600 m) but dilute gravity currents generated from the collapsing outer margin of the otherwise buoyant Hatepe Plinian eruption column deposited the group A beds. The upper ash beds (group C) consist of one to seven layers, attain an aggregate thickness of 35 cm, and vary considerably in thickness and number of beds with respect to distance from vent. Group C beds contain variable amounts of ash mixed with angular Plinian pumices and are genuine rain-flushed ashes. Several recent eruptions at other volcanoes (Ukinrek Maars, Vulcan, Rabaul, La Soufrère de Guadeloupe and Soufrière, St Vincent) have produced gravity currents similar in style, but much smaller than those envisaged for group A deposits. The overloaded margins of otherwise buoyant eruption plumes generated these gravity currents. Laboratory studies have produced experimental gravity current analogues. Hazards from dilute gravity currents are considerable but often overlooked, thus the recognition of gravity current deposits will contribute to more thorough volcanic hazard assessment of prehistoric eruption sequences.     

Continuous monitoring of volcanic eruption dynamics: a review of various techniques and new results from a frequency-modulated radar Doppler system

 In situ measurement of volcanic eruption velocities is one of the great challenges left in geophysical volcanology. In this paper we report on a new radar Doppler technique for monitoring volcanic eruption velocities. In comparison with techniques employed previously (e.g., photographic methods or acoustic Doppler measurements), this method allows continuous recordings of volcanic eruptions even during poor visibility. Also, radar Doppler instruments are usually light weight and energy efficient, which makes them superior to other Doppler techniques based on laser light or sound. The proposed new technique was successfully tested at Stromboli Volcano in late 1996 during a period of low activity. The recorded data allow a clear distinction between particles rising from the vent and particles falling back towards the vent. The mean eruption velocity was approximately 10 m/s. Most of the eruptions recorded by radar were correlated to seismic recordings. The correlation between the magnitude of the volcanic shocks and the eruption force index defined in the paper may provide new insights into magma transport in the conduit. Received: 15 May 1998 / Accepted: 15 December 1998     

Volcanology of the 2350 B.P. Eruption of Mount Meager Volcanic Complex, British Columbia, Canada: implications for Hazards from Eruptions in Topographically Complex Terrain

 The Pebble Creek Formation (previously known as the Bridge River Assemblage) comprises the eruptive products of a 2350 calendar year B.P. eruption of the Mount Meager volcanic complex and two rock avalanche deposits. Volcanic rocks of the Pebble Creek Formation are the youngest known volcanic rocks of this complex. They are dacitic in composition and contain phenocrysts of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, amphibole, biotite and minor oxides in a glassy groundmass. The eruption was episodic, and the formation comprises fallout pumice (Bridge River tephra), pyroclastic flows, lahars and a lava flow. It also includes a unique form of welded block and ash breccia derived from collapsing fronts of the lava flow. This Merapi-type breccia dammed the Lillooet River. Collapse of the dam triggered a flood that flowed down the Lillooet Valley. The flood had an estimated total volume of 10⁹ m³ and inundated the Lillooet Valley to a depth of at least 30 m above the paleo-valley floor 5.5 km downstream of the blockage. Rock avalanches comprising mainly blocks of Plinth Assemblage volcanic rocks (an older formation making up part of the Mount Meager volcanic complex) underlie and overlie the primary volcanic units of the Formation. Both rock avalanches are unrelated to the 2350 B.P. eruption, although the post-eruption avalanche may have its origins in the over-steepened slopes created by the explosive phase of the eruption. Much of the stratigraphic complexity evident in the Pebble Creek Formation results from deposition in a narrow, steep-sided mountain valley containing a major river. Received: 20 January 1998 / Accepted: 29 September 1998     

Event-stratigraphy of a caldera-forming ignimbrite eruption on Tenerife: the 273 ka Poris Formation

The 273 ka Poris Formation in the Bandas del Sur Group records a complex, compositionally zoned explosive eruption at Las Cañadas caldera on Tenerife, Canary Islands. The eruption produced widespread pyroclastic density currents that devastated much of the SE of Tenerife, and deposited one of the most extensive ignimbrite sheets on the island. The sheet reaches ~ 40-m thick, and includes Plinian pumice fall layers, massive and diffuse-stratified pumiceous ignimbrite, widespread lithic breccias, and co-ignimbrite ashfall deposits. Several facies are fines-rich, and contain ash pellets and accretionary lapilli. Eight brief eruptive phases are represented within its lithostratigraphy. Phase 1 comprised a fluctuating Plinian eruption, in which column height increased and then stabilized with time and dispersed tephra over much of the southeastern part of the island. Phase 2 emplaced three geographically restricted ignimbrite flow-units and associated extensive thin co-ignimbrite ashfall layers, which contain abundant accretionary lapilli from moist co-ignimbrite ash plumes. A brief Plinian phase (Phase 3), again dispersing pumice lapilli over southeastern Tenerife, marked the onset of a large sustained pyroclastic density current (Phase 4), which then waxed (Phase 5), covering increasingly larger areas of the island, as vents widened and/or migrated along opening caldera faults. The climax of the Poris eruption (Phase 6) was marked by widespread emplacement of coarse lithic breccias, thought to record caldera subsidence. This is inferred to have disturbed the magma chamber, causing mingling and eruption of tephriphonolite magma, and it changed the proximal topography diverting the pyroclastic density current(s) down the Güimar valley (Phase 7). Phase 8 involved post-eruption erosion and sedimentary reworking, accompanied by minor down-slope sliding of ignimbrite. This was followed by slope stabilization and pedogenesis. The fines-rich lithofacies with abundant ash pellets and accretionary lapilli record agglomeration of ash in moist ash plumes. They resemble phreatomagmatic deposits, but a phreatomagmatic origin is difficult to establish because shards are of bubble-wall type, and the moisture may have arisen by condensation within ascending thermal co-ignimbrite ash plumes that contained atmospheric moisture enhanced by that derived from the evaporation of seawater where the hot pyroclastic currents crossed the coast. Ash pellets formed in co-ignimbrite ash-clouds and then fell through turbulent pyroclastic density currents where they accreted rims and evolved into accretionary lapilli.Editorial Responsibility: J. Stix     

Scoria cone formation through a violent Strombolian eruption: Irao Volcano, SW Japan

Scoria cones are common volcanic features and are thought to most commonly develop through the deposition of ballistics produced by gentle Strombolian eruptions and the outward sliding of talus. However, some historic scoria cones have been observed to form with phases of more energetic violent Strombolian eruptions (e.g., the 1943–1952 eruption of Parícutin, central Mexico; the 1975 eruption of Tolbachik, Kamchatka), maintaining volcanic plumes several kilometers in height, sometimes simultaneous with active effusive lava flows. Geologic evidence shows that violent Strombolian eruptions during cone formation may be more common than is generally perceived, and therefore it is important to obtain additional insights about such eruptions to better assess volcanic hazards. We studied Irao Volcano, the largest basaltic monogenetic volcano in the Abu Monogenetic Volcano Group, SW Japan. The geologic features of this volcano are consistent with a violent Strombolian eruption, including voluminous ash and fine lapilli beds (on order of 10^?1 km³ DRE) with simultaneous scoria cone formation and lava effusion from the base of the cone. The characteristics of the volcanic products suggest that the rate of magma ascent decreased gradually throughout the eruption and that less explosive Strombolian eruptions increased in frequency during the later stages of activity. During the eruption sequence, the chemical composition of the magma became more differentiated. A new K–Ar age determination for phlogopite crystallized within basalt dates the formation of Irao Volcano at 0.4?±?0.05 Ma.     

The interaction between volcanic gases and tephra: Fluorine adhering to tephra of the 1970 hekla eruption

The mass distribution and sorting of tephra produced in the plinian phase of the 1970 Hekla eruption was controlled by the particle size distribution, the height of the eruption column, and velocity of transport. Near the volcano the mass distribution of soluble fluorine was controlled by particle size of the deposits, but approaches the mass distribution of the tephra at longer distances. Adsorbed soluble fluorine reaches a maximum at a distance from the volcano determined by the velocity of the transporting medium.SEM studies show the soluble fluorine to be chemically adsorbed on the surface of tephra particles. The adsorption is shown by experiment to occur at temperatures below 600°C in the cooling eruption column. Evaluation of reactions in the eruption column leads to the conclusion that formation of water soluble compounds adhering to tephra is principally controlled by environmental factors and to a lesser degree by the composition of the volcanic gas phase.