Electrostatics permeates our life just as it does in volcanic plumes, driving processes from the micro to the global scale. Charging impacts the way ash is transported, sedimented and remobilized, and how it chemically reacts in the environment thus contributing on how ash impacts humans, the environment and infrastructures. Like in thunderclouds, volcanic lightning can be readily detected from safe distance, allowing for real-time mapping of ash plumes.
The ground-breaking hypothesis of VOLTA is that electrification is an intrinsic property of all volcanic plumes and that by measuring it we can derive first-order eruption source parameters which are otherwise inaccessible but at the same time important for the prediction and mitigation of volcanic ash hazard. The current lack of observational and experimental data on the electrification of volcanic eruptions is hindering our basic knowledge of these phenomena.
The overall objective of VOLTA is hence to untangle the tight-knit relation between plume electrification and plume dynamics integrating multi-parametric observation of electrification at active volcanoes with experiments and models on the microphysics of particle charging and particle-laden jets. This unprecedented interdisciplinary approach will integrate physical and experimental volcanology, atmospheric sciences, electrostatics and electrical engineering with the overarching goal of delivering a comprehensive electrical model of volcanic plumes and, consequently, provide a novel and robust tool for real-time volcano monitoring.
