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Description
Assessments for the threats posed by volcanic eruptions rely in large part on the accurate prediction of volcanic plume motion over time. That predictive capacity is currently hindered by a limited understanding of volcanic plume dynamics. While eruption rate is considered a dominant control on volcanic plume dynamics, the effects of variable eruption rates on plume rise and evolution are not well understood. To address this aspect of plume dynamics, I conducted an experimental investigation wherein I quantified the relationship between laboratory jet development and highly-variable discharge rates under conditions analogous to those which may prevail in unsteady, short-lived explosive eruptions. I created turbulent jets in the laboratory by releasing pressurized water into a tank of still water. I then measured the resultant jet growth over time using simple video images and particle image velocimetry (PIV). I investigated jet behavior over a range of jet Reynolds numbers which overlaps with estimates of Reynolds numbers for short-duration volcanic plumes. By analysis of the jet boundary and velocity field evolution, I discovered a direct relationship between changes in vent conditions and jet evolution. Jet behavior evolved through a sequence of three stages - jet-like, transitional, and puff-like - that correlate with three main injection phases - acceleration, deceleration and off. While the source was off, jets were characterized by relatively constant internal velocity distributions and flow propagation followed that of a classical puff. However, while the source was on, the flow properties - both in the flows themselves and in the induced ambient flow - changed abruptly with changes at the source. On the basis of my findings for unsteady laboratory jets, I conclude that variable eruption rates with characteristic time scales close to eruption duration have first-order control over volcanic plume evolution. Prior to my study, the significance of this variation was largely uncharacterized as the volcanology community predominately uses steady eruption models for interpretation and prediction of activity. My results suggest that unsteady models are necessary to accurately interpret behavior and assess threats from unsteady, short-lived eruptions.
ContributorsChojnicki, Kirsten (Author) / Clarke, Amanda (Thesis advisor) / Williams, Stanley (Committee member) / Adrian, Ronald (Committee member) / Phillips, Jeremy (Committee member) / Fernando, Harindra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Rapid expansion of dense beds of fine, spherical particles subjected to rapid depressurization is studied in a vertical shock tube. As the particle bed is unloaded, a high-speed video camera captures the dramatic evolution of the particle bed structure. Pressure transducers are used to measure the dynamic pressure changes during the particle bed expansion process. Image processing, signal processing, and Particle Image Velocimetry techniques, are used to examine the relationships between particle size, initial bed height, bed expansion rate, and gas velocities.
The gas-particle interface and the particle bed as a whole expand and evolve in stages. First, the bed swells nearly homogeneously for a very brief period of time (< 2ms). Shortly afterward, the interface begins to develop instabilities as it continues to rise, with particles nearest the wall rising more quickly. Meanwhile, the bed fractures into layers and then breaks down further into cellular-like structures. The rate at which the structural evolution occurs is shown to be dependent on particle size. Additionally, the rate of the overall bed expansion is shown to be dependent on particle size and initial bed height.
Taller particle beds and beds composed of smaller-diameter particles are found to be associated with faster bed-expansion rates, as measured by the velocity of the gas-particle interface. However, the expansion wave travels more slowly through these same beds. It was also found that higher gas velocities above the the gas-particle interface measured \textit{via} Particle Image Velocimetry or PIV, were associated with particle beds composed of larger-diameter particles. The gas dilation between the shocktube diaphragm and the particle bed interface is more dramatic when the distance between the gas-particle interface and the diaphragm is decreased-as is the case for taller beds.
To further elucidate the complexities of this multiphase compressible flow, simple OpenFOAM (Weller, 1998) simulations of the shocktube experiment were performed and compared to bed expansion rates, pressure fluctuations, and gas velocities. In all cases, the trends and relationships between bed height, particle diameter, with expansion rates, pressure fluctuations and gas velocities matched well between experiments and simulations. In most cases, the experimentally-measured bed rise rates and the simulated bed rise rates matched reasonably well in early times. The trends and overall values of the pressure fluctuations and gas velocities matched well between the experiments and simulations; shedding light on the effects each parameter has on the overall flow.
The gas-particle interface and the particle bed as a whole expand and evolve in stages. First, the bed swells nearly homogeneously for a very brief period of time (< 2ms). Shortly afterward, the interface begins to develop instabilities as it continues to rise, with particles nearest the wall rising more quickly. Meanwhile, the bed fractures into layers and then breaks down further into cellular-like structures. The rate at which the structural evolution occurs is shown to be dependent on particle size. Additionally, the rate of the overall bed expansion is shown to be dependent on particle size and initial bed height.
Taller particle beds and beds composed of smaller-diameter particles are found to be associated with faster bed-expansion rates, as measured by the velocity of the gas-particle interface. However, the expansion wave travels more slowly through these same beds. It was also found that higher gas velocities above the the gas-particle interface measured \textit{via} Particle Image Velocimetry or PIV, were associated with particle beds composed of larger-diameter particles. The gas dilation between the shocktube diaphragm and the particle bed interface is more dramatic when the distance between the gas-particle interface and the diaphragm is decreased-as is the case for taller beds.
To further elucidate the complexities of this multiphase compressible flow, simple OpenFOAM (Weller, 1998) simulations of the shocktube experiment were performed and compared to bed expansion rates, pressure fluctuations, and gas velocities. In all cases, the trends and relationships between bed height, particle diameter, with expansion rates, pressure fluctuations and gas velocities matched well between experiments and simulations. In most cases, the experimentally-measured bed rise rates and the simulated bed rise rates matched reasonably well in early times. The trends and overall values of the pressure fluctuations and gas velocities matched well between the experiments and simulations; shedding light on the effects each parameter has on the overall flow.
ContributorsZunino, Heather (Author) / Adrian, Ronald J (Thesis advisor) / Clarke, Amanda (Committee member) / Chen, Kangping (Committee member) / Herrmann, Marcus (Committee member) / Huang, Huei-Ping (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Seismic observations have revealed two large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) in the lowermost mantle beneath Pacific and Africa. One hypothesis for the origin of LLSVPs is that they are caused by accumulation of subducted oceanic crust on the core-mantle boundary (CMB). Here, I perform high resolution geodynamical calculations to test this hypothesis. The result shows that it is difficult for a thin (~ 6 km) subducted oceanic crust to accumulate on the CMB, and the major part of it is viscously stirred into the surrounding mantle. Another hypothesis for the origin of LLSVPs is that they are caused by thermochemical piles of more-primitive material which is remnant of Earth's early differentiation. In such case, a significant part of the subducted oceanic crust would enter the more-primitive reservoir, while other parts are either directly entrained into mantle plumes forming on top of the more-primitive reservoir or stirred into the background mantle. As a result, mantle plumes entrain a variable combination of compositional components including more-primitive material, old oceanic crust which first enters the more-primitive reservoir and is later entrained into mantle plumes with the more-primitive material, young oceanic crust which is directly entrained into mantle plumes without contacting the more-primitive reservoir, and depleted background mantle material. The result reconciles geochemical observation of multiple compositional components and varying ages of oceanic crust in the source of ocean-island basalts. Seismic studies have detected ultra-low velocity zones (ULVZs) in some localized regions on the CMB. Here, I present 3D thermochemical calculations to show that the distribution of ULVZs provides important information about their origin. ULVZs with a distinct composition tend to be located at the edges of LLSVPs, while ULVZs solely caused by partial melting tend to be located inboard from the edges of LLSVPs. This indicates that ULVZs at the edges of LLSVPs are best explained by distinct compositional heterogeneity, while ULVZs located insider of LLSVPs are better explained by partial melting. The results provide additional constraints for the origin of ULVZs.
ContributorsLi, Mingming (Author) / McNamara, Allen K (Thesis advisor) / Garnero, Edward J (Committee member) / Shim, Sang-Heon (Committee member) / Tyburczy, James (Committee member) / Clarke, Amanda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015