Electrical Charging of Volcanic Plumes

James, Michael; Wilson, L.; Lane, S. J.; Gilbert, Jennifer; Mather, Tamsin A.; Harrison, R. G.; Martin, Robert

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-87664-1_25

Cited by 18 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…The earliest observation on electrification of sand can be traced back to 1914 conducted by British physicist Rudge1 who performed a measurement experiment of the electric field in the sand dust storm. This contact electrification of identical materials phenomenon also exists in other granular systems, including fluidized beds2, powder handling34, volcanic eruptions56, wind-blown snow7. In wind-blown granular systems, both the measurements and the theoretical predictions of the polarity of charged sand particles indicate that smaller particles generally charge negatively, while larger particles charge positively89101112.…”

mentioning

confidence: 70%

Theoretical modeling of relative humidity on contact electrification of sand particles

Zheng

Zhang

Huang

2014

Sci Rep

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Contact electrification of identical insulating particles has crucial significance for industrial and environmental science, especially in wind-blown granular systems. At the same time, the experimental phenomena of charge transfer first increased and then decreased with the increase of relative humidity has attracted the interest of many researchers. Humidity can affect the charge transfer has been early observed in the experiment, but the reason always puzzles researchers. In this study, based on trapped high-energy electron transfer mechanism, we introduce the effect of the water film in the charge transfer model and consider the actual situations of the sand particles in the collision process. Furthermore, charge transfer between sand particles in a single collision under different humidity conditions is investigated. The predicted results agree well with the law obtained in existing experiments qualitatively and thereby a possible explanation why humidity can affect the charge transfer is given.

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mentioning

confidence: 70%

Theoretical modeling of relative humidity on contact electrification of sand particles

Zheng

Zhang

Huang

2014

Sci Rep

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“…Another proximal vent charging process to consider is that which occurs during boiling of fresh or salt water [e.g., Blanchard , ]. Due to the polar nature of water molecules, charge separation occurs due to mechanical disruption of water during vigorous boiling [ James et al , ]. This process can occur during volcanic eruptions where there is contact between magma and an external water source.…”

Section: Volcanic Plume Charging Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mechanisms that occur secondary to the eruption within the plume include contact electrification of silicate particles and thunderstorm‐style plume‐based ice‐contact charging. A thorough review of the various mechanisms is provided by James et al [].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull: Lightning and plume charge structure

et al. 2014

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Six Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) stations were deployed in April 2010 around Eyjafjallajökull volcano in southern Iceland. Single-station LMA observations were made during the first explosive period (14-18 April), and three-dimensional LMA observations were made during the second explosive period (5-22 May). The single-station observations revealed that continuous RF electrical activity caused by high rates of small vent discharges occurred during the first explosive period, but not the second, indicating that the strength of vent charging varied between the first and second explosive periods. During the second explosive period, very little lightning was detected between 5 and 10 May, while moderate rates of lightning were detected between 11 and 21 May, signaling that another change occurred on 11 May that affected plume electrification. The data do not make clear if it was changing eruptive activity or changing meteorological activity that resulted in the sudden onset of lightning. The plume charge structure during the second explosive period was inferred from the three-dimensional lightning data, showing that the dominant charge structure varied between a positive monopole and a negative-over-positive dipole. The predominance of a low-altitude region of positive charge and the observation that electrical activity was concentrated near the vent indicate that net positive vent charging was dominating the electrification.

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“…Among the noninductive charging mechanisms thought to be operating during volcanic ash emissions, tribo‐electrification (Aplin et al, ; Cimarelli et al, ; Harrison et al, ; Houghton et al, ; Méndez Harper & Dufek, ) and fracto‐electrification (Aplin et al, ; James et al, ; James et al, ; Méndez Harper et al, ) are considered the most relevant in explosive eruptions where magma fragmentation and consequent production of turbulent particle‐laden jets are naturally produced.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrification of Experimental Volcanic Jets with Varying Water Content and Temperature

Stern

Cimarelli

Gaudin

et al. 2019

Geophysical Research Letters

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Volcanic lightning-a near ubiquitous feature of explosive volcanic eruptions-possesses great potential for the analysis of volcanic plume dynamics. To date, the lack of quantitative knowledge on the relationships between plume characteristics hinders efficient data analysis and application of the resulting parameterizations. We use a shock-tube apparatus for rapid decompression experiments to produce particleladen jets. We have systematically and independently varied the water content (0-27 wt%) and the temperature (25-320°C) of the particle-gas mixture. The addition of a few weight percent of water is sufficient to reduce the observed electrification by an order of magnitude. With increasing temperature, a larger number of smaller discharges are observed, with the overall amount of electrification staying similar. Changes in jet dynamics are proposed as the cause of the temperature-dependence, while multiple factors (including the higher conductivity of wet ash) can be seen responsible for the decreased electrification in wet experiments.Plain Language Summary Volcanic explosive eruptions are accompanied by lightning strikes generated from the volcanic dust cloud. Here we have experimentally studied the effects of atmospheric water and plume temperature on the frequency and intensity of the lightning strikes. The results will feed a model for the use of volcanic lightning strikes to estimate plume contents and intensity. Key Points:• Natural observations on the influence of temperature and water content on volcanic lightning have been modelled in laboratory experiments. • The magnitude of electrification and discharging in plumes decreases significantly with added water. • At higher temperatures a decrease in magnitude of individual discharges is observed, while the total neutralized charge stays similar.

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Electrical Charging of Volcanic Plumes

Cited by 18 publications

References 100 publications

Theoretical modeling of relative humidity on contact electrification of sand particles

Theoretical modeling of relative humidity on contact electrification of sand particles

The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull: Lightning and plume charge structure

Electrification of Experimental Volcanic Jets with Varying Water Content and Temperature

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