EAGER; Exploratory Research for a Mass Flow Apparatus Facility

1464308Sonder这笔热切的赠款将支持探索潜在用户设施的实验、设计和管理概念，以实现前所未有的(10-100米)陆地物质流(5-10吨物质)实验模拟。设想的质量流动装置(MFA)具有所希望的规模和能力(例如，多种物质释放模式、可变坡道倾角和表面地形以及一系列嵌入坡道的传感模式)，这是最近由国家科学基金会资助的一个国际火山学家社区参与的讲习班的一个概念建议。因此，PIs将首先针对模拟火山碎屑流所需的考虑因素，尽管MFA将适合于滑坡的实验研究。MFA将允许研究混合相质量流，其中初始边界条件受到控制，生成的沉积物将被研究，以帮助改进质量流行为的数值模型，并最终使用这些模型来帮助减轻质量流危险。将利用急切支持进一步研究的专题包括：1)为目标模拟寻找、处理、交付和准备合适的起始材料；2)设计可变倾斜坡道，规定修改表面形态和整合具体的传感模式，坡道结构设计的工程考虑和对设想的质量尺度的动态载荷的响应；3)考虑管理问题(例如，建立和清理实验的时间和费用、日程安排、目标实验类型的成本回收估计和长期使用考虑？维护。)设想的MFA为在受控环境下以前所未有的规模研究危险物质流动提供了一种潜在的变革性实验资源，并具有在自然条件下无法就地应用的传感能力。这笔热切的赠款将支持必要的额外探索性考虑，以完善MFA的设计考虑和管理概念，从而产生可支持地球科学界广泛使用的易于处理的MFA。

1464308SonderThis EAGER grant will suport exploration of experimental, design, and management concepts for a potential user facility to allow for unprecedented in scale (10-100 m) experimental simulation of terrestrial mass flows (5-10 t of material). An envisioned mass flow apparatus (MFA) on the size scale and with capabilities hoped for (e.g., multiple material release modalities, variable ramp inclination and surface topography as well as a range of ramp embedded sensing modalities) was a concept recommendation of a recent NSF supported workshop that engaged an international community of volcanologists. As such the PIs will first target the considerations necessary to simulate pyroclastic flows though the MFA would be suitable for experimental study of landslides. The MFA would allow for study of mixed phase mass flows where initial boundary conditions are controlled and the resultant deposits would be studied to help improve numerical models of the behavior of mass flows and to ultimately use those models to help mitigate mass flow hazards. Topics to be further studied using EAGER support include: 1) the sourcing, handling, delivery and preparation of suitable starting materials for target simulations; 2) design of the variable inclination ramp, provision for modification of surface morphology and integration of specific sensing modalities and engineering consideration of the ramps structural design and response to dynamic loads of the mass scales envisioned; 3) consideration of management issues (e.g., time and costs of experiment set up and clean up, scheduling, cost recovery estimates for target experiment types and longer term usage considerations ? maintenance.) The envisioned MFA offers a potentially transformative experimental resource for study of hazardous mass flows under controlled settings at unprecedented scales and with sensing capabilities that cannot be applied in situ under natural conditions. This EAGER grant will support the additional exploratory considerations necessary to refine MFA design consideration and management concepts that could result in a tractable MFA that could support broad use by the geoscience community.