SirrnmaryVolcanic activity which involves the vigorous flow of gases, such as strombolian eruptions and energetic fumarole activity, is commonly accompanied by noise or acoustic radiation caused by the interaction of the gas with the stationary solid boundaries of the vent as well as the turbulence of the gas in the jet itself. Analysis of sounds (both total power emitted and frequency spectra) produced during volcanic eruptions will provide detailed quantitative information concerning gas velocity history. Theoretical considerations suggest that acoustical power radiated during gaseous volcanic eruptions may be related to gas exit velocity by power laws of the form P a V", where n ranges from 4 to 8 depending on the type of radiation involved.Noise from energetic fumaroles atop Volcan Acatenango, Guatemala, was recorded, analysed, and interpreted in terms of the nature of the radiation produced and the implied gas velocities. This gas vent noise is found to be dipole radiation (due to interaction of the gas jet and solid boundaries), with quadrupole radiation (aerodynamic sound), and monopole radiation (source noise due to changes in mass flux) playing an insignificant role. For the dipole case, total radiated power, PD is approximately:where p o is gas density, A D the vent area, a. the sound speed, V gas velocity, and KD an empirically-determined constant which our field data suggests is in the range lo-* to lo-'.Eruption acoustics appear to constitute a means of quantitatively monitoring volcanic activity which, along with other techniques such as photography and seismology, can yield data bearing on eruption dynamics.
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