Triboelectric charging of volcanic ash from the 2011 Gr\'{i}msv\"{o}tn eruption

TL;DR

This study investigates how volcanic ash particles from the 2011 Grímsvötn eruption acquire electrical charge through triboelectric effects, highlighting the role of particle size distribution in plume electrification and its implications.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence that the normalized span of particle size distribution significantly influences triboelectric charging in volcanic ash plumes.

Findings

Particle size distribution affects ash charging magnitude

Normalized span of size distribution is a key factor

All ash plumes are likely to be charged

Abstract

The plume from the 2011 eruption of Gr\'{i}msv\"{o}tn was highly electrically charged, as shown by the considerable lightning activity measured by the UK Met Office's low-frequency lightning detection network. Previous measurements of volcanic plumes have shown that ash particles are electrically charged up to hundreds of km away from the vent, which indicates that the ash continues to charge in the plume [Harrison et al., Env. Res. Lett. 5 024004 (2010), Hatakeyama J. Met. Soc. Japan 27 372 (1949)]. In this paper we study triboelectric charging of different size fractions of a sample of volcanic ash experimentally. Consistently with previous work, we find that the particle size distribution is a determining factor in the charging. Specifically, our laboratory experiments demonstrate that the normalised span of the particle size distribution plays an important role in the magnitude of charging generated. The influence of the normalised span on plume charging suggests that all ash plumes are likely to be charged, with implications for remote sensing and plume lifetime through scavenging effects.