Collaborative Research: Lightning and Associated Electrical Activity at Erupting Volcanoes

最近由其他来源资助的奥古斯丁火山研究表明，有两种不同类型的可观察到的与喷发有关的电活动。 一个是新发现的主喷发时火山口持续的射频（RF）辐射，另一个是主喷发后数分钟火山羽中出现的大规模闪电，其特征与雷暴中发现的闪电相似。这些观测是使用新墨西哥州采矿和技术研究所开发的闪电测绘阵列（LMA）仪器进行的，是对这种火山电活动的第一次详细的高时间分辨率观测。在这项新的研究计划中，将在阿拉斯加的两个永久性地点观察火山产生的电活动，并使用一系列大气电仪器，包括LMA，以制作电活动的详细三维图像;以及电场米尔斯，快速天线和慢速天线，以表征闪电活动的极性。将开发低功率版本的LMA传感器，这将允许长期监测偏远地区的火山电活动，并快速部署到没有电网的地点。这项研究将涉及对火山闪电和电活动的科学研究，以及继续发展和改进进行这种观测的仪器。拟议研究的学术价值将来自科学调查。一个主要的科学目标是利用闪电测绘观测来确定火山羽流云的电结构。这将有助于更好地了解羽流中的充电机制。第二个主要目标是更好地表征爆炸阶段期间的连续RF活动。第三个主要目标是确定监测电活动作为确定活火山状况的另一个工具的效用，拟议活动的更广泛影响将包括进一步发展闪电绘图技术，作为研究和监测火山爆发的有用技术。即将开发的系统可以发展成为一个可用于监测火山并确认喷发的系统，即使天气条件无法进行目视观测。它可以作为一个额外的工具，帮助火山学家在决策过程中向附近的人口和飞机发出警告。对羽状闪电的跟踪可以给出火山灰云移动的方向。该系统将为火山学家提供另一种工具，以高时间分辨率研究喷发。了解火山羽流中的充电可以更好地了解雷暴中的充电。拟议研究的最后一个方面将是开发一套轻型、太阳能、电池操作的测绘站，可以随时部署用于各种尚不容易进行的实验和研究。研究生和本科生参与研究的科学和应用方面对他们的教育有着广泛的影响，而这种影响只能来自于研究真实的问题。这项研究将涉及大气和地球科学家在跨学科环境中的合作。将根据需要建立机构间和国际合作，与那些看起来有理由部署我们的仪器来研究活火山的地区的团体合作。这项跨学科活动已经引进了新技术，将用于监测阿拉斯加的活火山。随着与世界各地火山附近社区的火山学家和灾难规划者的互动不断发展，合作将会变得更加广泛。

Recent studies of Augustine Volcano, funded by other sources, have shown that there are two distinct types of observable electrical activity associated with eruptions. One is a newly discovered continuous radio frequency (RF) radiation at the crater mouth during the main eruption, and the other is large-scale lightning in the volcanic plume several minutes after the main eruption, with characteristics similar to lightning found in thunderstorms. These observations, made using Lightning Mapping Array (LMA) instrumentation developed at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, were the first detailed, high time resolution observations of such volcanic electrical activity. In this new research program volcano-produced electrical activity will be observed at two permanent sites in Alaska with an array of atmospheric electrical instrumentation including the LMA to make detailed three-dimensional images of the electrical activity; and electric field mills, fast antennas and slow antennas to characterize the polarity of the lightning activity. A low-power version of the LMA sensor will be developed, which will allow for long-term monitoring of volcanic electrical activity in remote locations, and for rapid deployment to sites with no grid power available. The research will involve both scientific studies of volcanic lightning and electrical activity, and continued development and advancement of the instrumentation for making such observations. The intellectual merit of the proposed research will derive from the scientific investigations. One major scientific goal is to use lightning mapping observations to ascertain the electrical structure of volcanic plume clouds. This will help lead to a better understanding of the charging mechanism in the plume. A second major goal is to better characterize the continuous RF activity during the explosive phase. A third major goal is to ascertain the usefulness of monitoring of electrical activity as an additional tool for the determination of the status of active volcanoes.Broader impacts of the proposed activity will include further development of the lightning mapping technique as a useful technology to study and monitor volcanic eruptions. The system that will be developed could evolve into one that could be used to monitor a volcano and confirm eruptions, even when weather conditions preclude visual observations. It could be used as an additional tool to help volcanologists in their decision-making process for generating warnings to nearby populations, and to aircraft. Tracking of the in-plume lightning can give the direction that the ash cloud is moving. The system will give the volcanologists another tool to study the eruptions with high time resolution. The understanding of charging in the volcanic plume could lead to a better understanding of the charging in thunderstorms. A final aspect of the proposed research will be the development of a set of lightweight, solar-powered, battery-operated mapping stations that can be readily deployed for a variety of experiments and studies that are as yet not easily conducted. The involvement of graduate and undergraduate students both in the scientific and applied aspects of the research has broad implications for their education that can only come from working on real problems. This research will involve a collaboration between atmospheric and earth scientists in a cross-disciplinary environment. Inter-agency and international collaborations will be established as needed to work with groups in areas where it looks reasonable to deploy our instrumentation to study active volcanoes. This interdisciplinary activity has already introduced new techniques that will be used for monitoring active volcanoes in Alaska. The collaborations will become broader as interactions develop with volcanologists and disaster planners in communities near volcanoes around the world.