Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes
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Abstract
During explosive eruptions, airborne particles collide and stick together, accelerating the fallout of volcanic ash and climate-forcing aerosols. This aggregation process remains a major source of uncertainty both in ash dispersal forecasting and interpretation of eruptions from the geological record. Here we illuminate the mechanisms and timescales of particle aggregation from a well-characterized ‘wet’ eruption. The 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano in Alaska incorporated water from the surface (in this case, a glacier), which is a common occurrence during explosive volcanism worldwide. Observations from C-band weather radar, fall deposits, and numerical modeling demonstrate that volcanic hail formed rapidly in the eruption plume, leading to mixed-phase aggregation of ~95% of the fine ash and stripping much of the cloud out of the atmosphere within 30 minutes. Based on these findings, we propose a mechanism of hail-like aggregation that contributes to the anomalously rapid fallout of fine ash and the occurrence of concentrically-layered aggregates in volcanic deposits.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Hail formation triggers rapid ash aggregation in volcanic plumes |
Series title | Nature Communications |
DOI | 10.1038/ncomms8860 |
Volume | 6 |
Year Published | 2015 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
Contributing office(s) | Volcano Science Center |
Country | United States |
State | Alaska |
Other Geospatial | Redoubt Volcano |
Online Only (Y/N) | N |
Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |