Electrification of Eruptive Plumes Discharged by Shiveluch Volcano in Relation to the Character of the Responsible Explosion

Abstract

It is shown that the rate of explosive eruptions on Shiveluch Volcano has become increasingly high during recent years, which makes the monitoring of the volcano using all available means highly urgent. We seek to introduce another technique into the multidisciplinary monitoring of explosive eruptions by analyzing responses in the vertical component of the atmospheric electric field (EZ AEF) during the passage of eruptive plumes. We considered two Shiveluch eruptions that were different in vigor that occurred on December 16, 2016 and on June 14, 2017.The signals in the EZ AEF were selected using multidisciplinary observations, viz., satellite-based observations, seismic, and infrared observations. Signals of negative polarity were recorded in the EZ AEF dynamics in the near zone ( 100 km), the explosion produced a signal of positive polarity coming from an aero-electrical structure of the “positively charged plume” type from the aerosol column.