Lava fountain jet noise during the 2018 eruption of fissure 8 of Kīlauea volcano

Abstract

Real-time monitoring is crucial to assess hazards and mitigate risks of sustained volcanic eruptions that last hours to months or more. Sustained eruptions have been shown to produce a low frequency (infrasonic) form of jet noise. We analyze the lava fountaining at fissure 8 during the 2018 Lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii, and connect changes in fountain properties with recorded infrasound signals from an array about 500 m from the fountain using jet noise scaling laws and visual imagery. Video footage from the eruption reveals a change in lava fountain dynamics from a tall, distinct fountain at the beginning of June to a low fountain with a turbulent, out-pouring lava pond surrounded by a tephra cone by mid-June. During mid-June, the sound pressure level reaches a maximum, and peak frequency drops. We develop a model that uses jet noise scaling relationships to estimate changes in volcanic jet diameter and jet velocity from infrasound sound pressure levels and peak frequencies. The results of this model indicate a decrease in velocity in mid-June which coincides with the decrease in fountain height. Furthermore, the model results suggest an increase in jet diameter, which can be explained by the larger width of the fountain that resembles a turbulent lava pond compared to the distinct fountain at the beginning of June. The agreement between the infrasound-derived and visually observed changes in fountain dynamics suggests that jet noise scaling relationships can be used to monitor lava fountain dynamics using infrasound recordings.

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The Explosive Activity of the 2021 Tajogaite Eruption (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain)

“…Beyond the traditional designation of eruption styles based on visual observation of eruptions at type localities, eruption imaging and geophysical recording are currently pushing toward more quantitative definitions of explosive eruptions. Recent advances in eruption imaging, in particular, have extensively helped parameterizing explosive activity at several volcanoes, including, but not limited to, Stromboli (Italy) (e.g., Bombrun et al., 2015; Pering et al., 2020; Ripepe et al., 1993; Taddeucci, Scarlato, et al., 2012), Yasur (Vanuatu) (Gaudin et al., 2017; Simons, Cronin, Eccles, Bebbington, & Jolly, 2020; Simons, Cronin, Eccles, Jolly, et al., 2020; Spina et al., 2015), Reunion (France) (Edwards et al., 2020), Etna (Italy) (Pering et al., 2014; Pioli et al., 2022; Spina et al., 2017), Batu Tara (Indonesia) (Spina et al., 2021), Fuego (Guatemala) (Marchetti et al., 2009), Kilauea (USA) (Gestrich et al., 2022; Houghton et al., 2021; Mintz et al., 2021; Patrick et al., 2019), and Eyjafjallajökull and Fagradalsfjall (Iceland) (Dürig, Gudmundsson, Karmann, et al., 2015; Dürig, Gudmundsson, & Dellino, 2015; Lamb et al., 2022). These eruption imaging and geophysical studies have largely contributed to understanding the underlying processes and defining more systematically eruption styles of mafic explosive activity, mostly Hawaiian and Strombolian ones.…”