Merrison, Jonathan Peter

The resuspension of volcanic ash by wind is a significant source of hazard during and after volcanic eruptions. Parameterizing and modeling ash resuspension requires direct measurement of the minimum wind shear stress required to move particles, usually expressed as the threshold friction velocity U*th, a parameter that, for volcanic ash, has been measured only scarcely and always in the laboratory. Here, we report the first field measurements of U*th for volcanic ash, with a portable wind tunnel specifically developed, calibrated, and tested. Field measurements, performed on natural reworked ash deposits from Sakurajima (Japan) and Cordón Caulle (Chile) volcanoes, agree well with our laboratory determinations on ash from the same deposits, with values of U*th ranging from 0.13 to 0.38 m/s. Our results show that the median grain size of the deposit and particle shape have a stronger control on U*th than the local substratum nature and deposit texture.

Ash deposited during volcanic eruptions can be resuspended by wind and become hazardous for health and infrastructure hours to decades after an eruption. Accurate resuspension forecasting requires accurate modelling of the threshold friction velocity of the volcanic particles (Uth*), which is the key parameter controlling volcanic ash detachment by wind. Using an environmental wind tunnel facility this study provides much needed experimental data on volcanic particle resuspension, with the first systematic parameterization of Uth* for ash from the regions Campi Flegrei in Italy and also Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. In this study atmospheric relative humidity (and related ash moisture content) was systematically varied, from <10% to >90%, which in the case of the Eyjafjallajökull fine ash (<63 μm) produced a twofold increase in Uth*. Using the Campi Flegrei fine ash (<63 μm) an increase in Uth* of only around a factor of 1.5 was observed. Reasonable agreement with force balance resuspension models was seen, which implied an increase in interparticle adhesion force of up to a factor of six due to high humidity. Our results imply that, contrary to dry conditions, one single modelling scheme may not satisfy the resuspension of volcanic ash from different eruptions under wet conditions.

Numerical modeling of ash plume dispersal is an important tool for forecasting and mitigating potential hazards from volcanic ash erupted during explosive volcanism. Recent tephra dispersal models have been expanded to account for dynamic ash aggregation processes. However, there are very few studies on rates of disaggregation during transport. It follows that current models regard ash aggregation as irrevocable and may therefore overestimate aggregation-enhanced sedimentation. In this experimental study, we use industrial granulation techniques to artificially produce aggregates. We subject these to impact tests and evaluate their resistance to break-up processes. We find a dependence of aggregate stability on primary particle size distribution and solid particle binder concentration. We posit that our findings could be combined with eruption source parameters and implemented in future tephra dispersal models.