Abstract
Airborne volcanic ash advisories are currently based on analyses of satellite imagery with relatively low temporal resolution, and numerical simulations of atmospheric plume dispersion. These simulations rely on key input parameters such as the maximum height of eruption plumes and the mass eruption rate at the vent, which remain loosely constrained. In this study, we present a proof-of-concept workflow that incorporates the analysis of volcanic infrasound with numerical modelling of volcanic plume rise in a realistic atmosphere. We analyse acoustic infrasound records from two explosions during the 2009 eruption of Mt. Redoubt, USA, that produced plumes reaching heights of 12–14 km. We model the infrasonic radiation at the source under the assumptions of linear acoustic theory and calculate variations in mass ejection velocity at the vent. The estimated eruption velocities serve as the input for numerical models of plume rise. The encouraging results highlight the potential for infrasound measurements to be incorporated into numerical modelling of ash dispersion, and confirm their value for volcano monitoring operations.
Highlights
In this paper we combine analyses of infrasound observations with numerical modeling of volcanic plume rise in a realistic atmosphere in order to characterize airborne ash injection during the 2009 eruption of Mt
Whilst numerical models can provide detailed forecasts of atmospheric ash dispersion patterns, they rely on accurate knowledge of key parameters such as initial plume height and mass eruption rates, which remain loosely constrained
In this study we have presented a proof-of-concept which incorporates the analysis of infrasound data recorded during two explosive events during the 2009 eruption at Mt
Summary
In this paper we combine analyses of infrasound observations with numerical modeling of volcanic plume rise in a realistic atmosphere in order to characterize airborne ash injection during the 2009 eruption of Mt. Redoubt. In March 2009, with an eruption considered imminent, AVO deployed a portable radar system (Electronics Corporation MiniMax-250C Doppler radar) on the Kenai Peninsula, 82 km east of Mt. Redoubt (giving a beamwidth of 2.6 km), in order to monitor eventual ash plumes from the volcano (Schneider and Hoblitt 2013). Infrasound source velocity model Fluctuations in air pressure recorded at a distance from a volcanic vent are directly related to acoustic power that, in turn, depends on mass outflux at the source (Caplan-Auerbach et al 2010; Woulff and McGetchin 1976).
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