Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/13459
Authors: Prata, A T* 
Folch, A.* 
Prata, A. J.* 
Biondi, R* 
Brenot, Hugues* 
Cimarelli, Corrado* 
Corradini, Stefano* 
Lapierre, J* 
Costa, Antonio* 
Title: Anak Krakatau triggers volcanic freezer in the upper troposphere
Journal: Scientific Reports 
Series/Report no.: /10 (2020)
Issue Date: 27-Feb-2020
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60465-w
Abstract: Volcanic activity occurring in tropical moist atmospheres can promote deep convection and trigger volcanic thunderstorms. These phenomena, however, are rarely observed to last continuously for more than a day and so insights into the dynamics, microphysics and electrification processes are limited. Here we present a multidisciplinary study on an extreme case, where volcanically-triggered deep convection lasted for six days. We show that this unprecedented event was caused and sustained by phreatomagmatic activity at Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia during 22-28 December 2018. Our modelling suggests an ice mass flow rate of ~5 × 106 kg/s for the initial explosive eruption associated with a flank collapse. Following the flank collapse, a deep convective cloud column formed over the volcano and acted as a 'volcanic freezer' containing ~3 × 109 kg of ice on average with maxima reaching ~1010 kg. Our satellite analyses reveal that the convective anvil cloud, reaching 16-18 km above sea level, was ice-rich and ash-poor. Cloud-top temperatures hovered around -80 °C and ice particles produced in the anvil were notably small (effective radii ~20 µm). Our analyses indicate that vigorous updrafts (>50 m/s) and prodigious ice production explain the impressive number of lightning flashes (~100,000) recorded near the volcano from 22 to 28 December 2018. Our results, together with the unique dataset we have compiled, show that lightning flash rates were strongly correlated (R = 0.77) with satellite-derived plume heights for this event.
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