Volcanic Plumes

Volcanic plumes are mixtures of volcanic particles, gases, and entrained air that are produced by explosive eruptions. Material can be injected to high levels in the atmosphere and dispersed on a global scale. Their structure and behavior are controlled by factors such as magmatic composition, the amount and nature of volatile components, rate of magma discharge, and geometry of the source vent. Volcanic plumes have the potential for impacting the Earth’s climate by the injection of volcanic aerosols into the stratosphere and reducing the solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface. Collapsing plumes generate hot mixtures of gases and particles that move down the slopes of a volcano at high speeds and can result in severe volcanic hazard. Significant progress has been made in the modeling of the structure and evolution of plumes as they interact with the atmosphere, and in the tracking of plumes by remote sensing techniques once they disperse downwind from source.