Transient dynamics of vulcanian explosions and column collapse

A. B. Clarke (), B. Voight, A. Neri and G. Macedonio
Additional contact information
A. B. Clarke: Penn State University
B. Voight: Penn State University
A. Neri: Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
G. Macedonio: Osservatorio Vesuviano, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia

Nature, 2002, vol. 415, issue 6874, 897-901

Abstract: Abstract Several analytical and numerical eruption models have provided insight into volcanic eruption behaviour1,2,3,4,5, but most address plinian-type eruptions where vent conditions are quasi-steady. Only a few studies have explored the physics of short-duration vulcanian explosions6,7,8,9 with unsteady vent conditions and blast events10,11. Here we present a technique that links unsteady vent flux of vulcanian explosions to the resulting dispersal of volcanic ejecta, using a numerical, axisymmetric model with multiple particle sizes. We use observational data from well documented explosions in 1997 at the Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat, West Indies, to constrain pre-eruptive subsurface initial conditions and to compare with our simulation results. The resulting simulations duplicate many features of the observed explosions, showing transitional behaviour where mass is divided between a buoyant plume and hazardous radial pyroclastic currents fed by a collapsing fountain12. We find that leakage of volcanic gas from the conduit through surrounding rocks over a short period (of the order of 10 hours) or retarded exsolution can dictate the style of explosion. Our simulations also reveal the internal plume dynamics and particle-size segregation mechanisms that may occur in such eruptions.

Date: 2002
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/415897a Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:nature:v:415:y:2002:i:6874:d:10.1038_415897a

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/

DOI: 10.1038/415897a

Access Statistics for this article

Nature is currently edited by Magdalena Skipper

More articles in Nature from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().