Authors
James S McNeal, Graham Freedland, Raúl Bayoán Cal, Larry G Mastin, Stephen Solovitz
Publication date
2017/12
Journal
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
Volume
2017
Pages
V11E-03
Description
During and after volcanic eruptions, ash clouds can present a danger to human activities, notably to air travel. Ash dispersal models can forecast the location and downwind path of the ash cloud, which are critical for mitigating potential threats. The accuracy of the ash dispersal model depends on the reliability of input parameters, one of which is the mass eruption rate (MER). Uncertainties in MER translate to uncertainties in forecasts of ash-cloud concentration. One-dimensional plume models can quickly estimate the MER from plume height, relying on empirical entrainment coefficients, α and β, which describe air inflow perpendicular and parallel to the centerline of the plume, respectively. While much work has been done to quantify α for strong plumes (0.06-0.09 in most cases), consensus has not been reached for α and β in moderate to weak plumes (ie plumes bent over by the wind). We conducted high …
Scholar articles
JS McNeal, G Freedland, RB Cal, LG Mastin, S Solovitz - AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 2017