Explosion dynamics of pyroclastic eruptions at Santiaguito Volcano

Authors

Jeffrey B. Johnson, University of Hawaii
Andrew J. L. Harris, University of Hawaii
Steve T. M. Sahetapy-Engel, University of Hawaii
Rudiger Wolf, CONRED
William I. Rose, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-20-2004

Abstract

In Jan. 2003 we monitored explosions at Santiaguito Volcano (Guatemala) with thermal, infrasonic, and seismic sensors. Thermal data from 2 infrared thermometers allowed computation of plume rise speeds, which ranged from 8 to 20 m/s. Rise rates correlated with cumulative thermal radiance, indicating that faster rising plumes correspond to explosions with greater thermal flux. The relationship between rise speeds and elastic energy is less clear. Seismic radiation may not scale well with thermal output and/or rise speed because some of the thermal component may be associated with passive degassing, which does not induce significant seismicity. But non-impulsive gas release is still able to produce a high thermal flux, which is the primary control on buoyant rise speed.

Publisher's Statement

© 2004 American Geophysical Union. Publisher's version of record: https://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2003GL019079

Publication Title

Geophysical Research Letters

Recommended Citation

Johnson, J. B., Harris, A. J., Sahetapy-Engel, S. T., Wolf, R., & Rose, W. I. (2004). Explosion dynamics of pyroclastic eruptions at Santiaguito Volcano. Geophysical Research Letters, 31. http://doi.org/10.1029/2003GL019079
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/geo-fp/56

Version

Publisher's PDF