Special volume in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research

Published March 4, 2022

The Commission supported a special volume in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research presenting results of the eruption column model inter-comparison study. View the special issue here.

The accurate description of the dynamics of convective plumes developed during explosive volcanic eruptions represents one of the most crucial and intriguing challenges in volcanology. Eruptive plume dynamics are significantly affected by complex interactions with the surrounding atmosphere, in the case of both strong eruption columns, rising vertically above the tropopause, and weak volcanic plumes, developing within the troposphere and often following bended trajectories. The understanding of eruptive plume dynamics is pivotal for estimating mass flow rates of volcanic sources, a crucial aspect for tephra dispersion models used to assess aviation safety and tephra fallout hazard. For these reasons, several eruption column models have been developed in the past decades, including the more recent sophisticated computational fluid dynamic models.

This volume presents results of the eruption column model inter-comparison study promoted by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) Commission on Tephra Hazard Modelling.