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Laboratory experiments of forced plumes in a density‐stratified crossflow and implications for volcanic plumes
Author(s) -
Carazzo Guillaume,
Girault Frédéric,
Aubry Thomas,
Bouquerel Hélène,
Kaminski Edouard
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2014gl061887
Subject(s) - plume , dimensionless quantity , volcano , panache , geology , atmospheric sciences , wind speed , geophysics , meteorology , environmental science , mechanics , physics , seismology , oceanography
The mass eruption rate feeding a volcanic plume is commonly estimated from its maximum height. Winds are known to affect the column dynamics causing bending and hence reducing the maximum plume height for a given mass eruption rate. However, the quantitative predictions including wind effects on mass eruption rate estimates are not well constrained. To fill this gap, we present a series of new laboratory experiments on forced plumes rising in a density‐stratified crossflow. We identify three dynamical regimes corresponding to increasing effect of wind on the plume rise. The transition from one regime to another is governed by two dimensionless velocity scales defined as a function of source and environmental parameters. The results are found consistent with the conditions of historical eruptions and provide new empirical relationships to estimate mass eruption rate from plume height in windy conditions, leading to valuable tools for eruption risk assessment.