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Results for “Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network”

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USGS2008

Compilation of Disruptions to Airports by Volcanic Activity (Version 1.0, 1944-2006)

Volcanic activity has caused significant hazards to numerous airports worldwide, with local to far-ranging effects on travelers and commerce. To more fully characterize the nature and scope of volcanic hazards to airports, we collected data on incidents of airports throughout the world that have been affected by volcanic activity, beginning in 1944 with the first documented instance of damage to modern aircraft and facilities in Naples, Italy, and extending through 2006. Information was gleaned from various sources, including news outlets, volcanological reports (particularly the Smithsonian Institution's Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network), and previous publications on the topic. This report presents the full compilation of the data collected. For each incident, information about the affected airport and the volcanic source has been compiled as a record in a Microsoft Access database. The database is incomplete in so far as incidents may not have not been reported or documented, but it does present a good sample from diverse parts of the world. Not included are en-route diversions to avoid airborne ash clouds at cruise altitudes. The database has been converted to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. To make the PDF version of table 1 in this open-file report resemble the spreadsheet, order the PDF pages as 12, 17, 22; 13, 18, 23; 14, 19, 24; 15, 20, 25; and 16, 21, 26. Analysis of the database reveals that, at a minimum, 101 airports in 28 countries were impacted on 171 occasions from 1944 through 2006 by eruptions at 46 volcanoes. The number of affected airports (101) probably is better constrained than the number of incidents (171) because recurring disruptions at a given airport may have been lumped together or not reported by news agencies, whereas the initial disruption likely is noticed and reported and thus the airport correctly counted.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2026

Satellite observations, plume dynamics and volcanic lightning from the 2023 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska

The 2023 eruption of Shishaldin Volcano, Alaska, provided an unusually well-monitored example of a “dry” (non-hydromagmatic) explosive basaltic eruption with sustained, buoyant plumes, and pyroclastic density currents. Here, we examine the 13 basaltic paroxysms that occurred between July and November 2023 using geostationary satellite observations, plume modeling, and volcanic lightning detection to characterize mass eruption rates and plume dynamics. We show that seven volcanic plumes reached 10–14 km above sea level, sustained for minutes to tens of minutes. Translating plume heights into mass eruption rates, using both empirical scaling and one-dimensional plume modeling, gives peak rates of 10 4 –10 7 kg·s −1 and a total erupted volume of ~ 0.05 km 3 (dense rock equivalent) across the eruption sequence. Despite the moderate intensity of this eruption, automated satellite detection algorithms generally failed to detect volcanic ash. We attribute this persistent challenge to the fines-poor grain size distribution of the eruption. Volcanic lightning provides an additional window into the eruption dynamics. A total of 491 volcanic lightning flashes were detected, concentrated during seven of the most energetic phases. The timing of this electrical activity suggests that lightning only became detectable by the global lightning monitoring network when plumes ascended to atmospheric levels favorable for ice formation. Based on the available data, we infer that the low fine ash content of the plumes, combined with minimal water and ice, led to the overall modest rates of lightning (1–13 flashes per minute) compared to “wet” eruptions of similar intensity. These results show that combining satellite observations, plume modeling, and lightning detection provides a valuable timeline of eruptive intensity, even for “dry” basaltic eruptions in remote locations.

Alaska↗
USGS2020

Did ice-charging generate volcanic lightning during the 2016–2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, Alaska?

The 2016–2017 shallow submarine eruption of Bogoslof volcano in Alaska injected plumes of ash and seawater to maximum heights of ~ 12 km. More than 4550 volcanic lightning strokes were detected by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) over 9 months. Lightning assisted monitoring efforts by confirming ash-producing explosions in near-real time, but only 32 out of the 70 explosive events produced detectable lightning. What led to electrical activity within some of the volcanic plumes, but not others? And why did the lightning intensity wax and wane over the lifetime of individual explosions? We address these questions using multiparametric observations from ground-based lightning sensors, satellite imagery, photographs, acoustic signals, and 1D plume modeling. Detailed time-series of monitoring data show that the plumes did not produce detectable lightning until they rose higher than the atmospheric freezing level (approximated by − 20 °C temperatures). For example, on 28 May 2017 (event 40), the delayed onset of lightning coincides with modeled ice formation in upper levels of the plume. Model results suggest that microphysical conditions inside the plume rivaled those of severe thunderstorms, with liquid water contents > 5 g m −3 and vigorous updrafts > 40 m s −1 in the mixed-phase region where liquid water and ice coexist. Based on these findings, we infer that ‘thunderstorm-style’ collisional ice-charging catalyzed the volcanic lightning. However, charge mechanisms likely operated on a continuum, with silicate collisions dominating electrification in the near-vent region, and ice charging taking over in the upper-level plumes. A key implication of this study is that lightning during the Bogoslof eruption provided a reliable indicator of sustained, ash-rich plumes (and associated hazards) above the atmospheric freezing level.

Alaska↗