An extreme wind erosion event of the fresh Eyjafjallajökull 2010 volcanic ash

Measuring air pollution from the 2021 Canary Islands volcanic eruption

The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain) began on September 19, 2021 and ended on December 13, 2021. It lasted continuously for 85 days with short periods of calm when lava did not exit the cone of the volcano. Vast amounts of volcanic material, including ash and gases, were emitted into the environment. This research focuses on these emissions. The main objective is to use available open-source data to examine the impact on regional and local air quality. Data from the following sources were used: 1) Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) data was used to track the transfer of volcanic SO₂ in the troposphere in early October over long distances from the source of the eruption, including Western and Eastern Europe, across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean; 2) Data from ground monitoring stations measured the concentrations of SO₂ and PM₁₀ near the source; 3) AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) data from the La Palma station that showed high Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) values (over 0.4) during the active phase of emissions on September 24 and 28, as well as on October 3; 4) Ångström Exponent (AE) values indicated the presence of particles of different sizes. On September 24, high AE values (>1.5), showed the presence of fine-mode fraction scattering aerosols such as sulfates; 5) Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data additionally confirmed the presence of sulfate and dust aerosols in the atmosphere over the region. However, the influence of Saharan dust on the atmosphere of the entire region could not be excluded. This research helps forecast air pollution resulting from large-scale volcanic eruptions and associated health risks to humans.

The Effects of Soil Porosity and Mix Design of Volcanic Ash-Based Geopolymer on the Surface Strength of Highly Wind Erodible Soils

Surface stabilization of loose, non-cohesive, and fine soils has always been a challenging task for geotechnical engineers. These soils show meager mechanical behavior and are very vulnerable to wind erosion. Many attempts have been made to combat wind erosion of soils. These attempts, including a variety of soil surface amendment methods, have faced complications in terms of financial efficacy, reduced long-term behavior at elevated temperatures, and limitations in stabilization of a wide range of soil types. The application of geopolymers for surface stabilization is a novel approach, which has its own challenges in terms of selecting an appropriate precursor type, mix design, and preparation method. This study evaluated the challenges of using volcanic ash (VA)-based geopolymer, through the 1 Phase (1P) method for stabilization of two silty and sandy soils. A series of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and penetrometer tests were performed on cylindrical specimens and soil surface-treated samples, respectively, to evaluate the resistance of treated samples with different porosities. Moreover, the rheological behavior of geopolymer paste having various binder-to-activator ratios is discussed. The available rheological characteristics of geopolymer in this study fit well with the Bingham model. It was found that, despite the minimal crust thickness formed on the topsoil, significant surface resistance is acquired. The results show notable performance of the 1P method for surface amendment of both the silty and sandy soil samples.

Muographic monitoring of hydrogeomorphic changes induced by post-eruptive lahars and erosion of Sakurajima volcano

Post-eruptive destabilization of volcanic edifices by gravity driven debris flows or erosion can catastrophically impact the landscapes, economies and human societies surrounding active volcanoes. In this work, we propose cosmic-ray muon imaging (muography) as a tool for the remote monitoring of hydrogeomorphic responses to volcano landscape disturbances. We conducted the muographic monitoring of Sakurajima volcano, Kyushu, Japan and measured continuous post-eruptive activity with over 30 lahars per year. The sensitive surface area of the Multi-Wire-Proportional-Chamber-based Muography Observation System was upgraded to 7.67 m\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$^2$$\end{document}2; this made it possible for the density of tephra within the crater region to be measured in 40 days. We observed the muon flux decrease from 10 to 40% through the different regions of the crater from September 2019 to October 2020 due to the continuous deposition of tephra fallouts. In spite of the long-term mass increase, significant mass decreases were also observed after the onsets of rain-triggered lahars that induced the erosion of sedimented tephra. The first muographic observation of these post-eruptive phenomena demonstrate that this passive imaging technique has the potential to contribute to the assessment of indirect volcanic hazards.

Mass flux decay timescales of volcanic particles due to aeolian processes in the Argentinian Patagonia steppe

We investigate the timescales of the horizontal mass flux decay of wind remobilised volcanic particles in Argentina, associated with the tephra-fallout deposit produced by the 2011–2012 Cordón Caulle (Chile) eruption. Particle removal processes are controlled by complex interactions of meteorological conditions, surface properties and particle depletion with time. We find that ash remobilisation follows a two-phase exponential decay with specific timescales for the initial input of fresh ash (1–74 days) and the following soil stabilisation processes (3–52 months). The characteristic timescales as a function of particle size shows two minimum values, identified for sizes around 2 and 19–37 \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\upmu$$\end{document}μm, suggesting that these size-range particles are remobilised more easily, due to the interaction between saltation and suspension-induced processes. We find that in volcanic regions, characterised by a sudden release and a subsequent depletion of particles, the availability of wind-erodible particles plays a major role due to compaction and removal of fine particles. We propose, therefore, a simple and reproducible empirical model to describe the mass flux decay of remobilised ash in a supply-limited environment. This methodology represents an innovative approach to link field measurements of multi-sized and supply-limited deposits with saltation erosion theory.

Reactive uptake of NO2 on volcanic particles: A possible source of HONO in the atmosphere

The heterogeneous degradation of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on five samples of natural Icelandic volcanic particles has been investigated. Laboratory experiments were carried out under simulated atmospheric conditions using a coated wall flow tube (CWFT). The CWFT reactor was coupled to a blue light nitrogen oxides analyzer (NO_x analyzer), and a long path absorption photometer (LOPAP) to monitor in real time the concentrations of NO₂, NO and HONO, respectively. Under dark and ambient relative humidity conditions, the steady state uptake coefficients of NO₂ varied significantly between the volcanic samples probably due to differences in magma composition and morphological variation related with the density of surface OH groups. The irradiation of the surface with simulated sunlight enhanced the uptake coefficients by a factor of three indicating that photo-induced processes on the surface of the dust occur. Furthermore, the product yields of NO and HONO were determined under both dark and simulated sunlight conditions. The relative humidity was found to influence the distribution of gaseous products, promoting the formation of gaseous HONO. A detailed reaction mechanism is proposed that supports our experimental observations. Regarding the atmospheric implications, our results suggest that the NO₂ degradation on volcanic particles and the corresponding formation of HONO is expected to be significant during volcanic dust storms or after a volcanic eruption.

Vertical distribution of aerosols in dust storms during the Arctic winter

High Latitude Dust (HLD) contributes 5% to the global dust budget, but HLD measurements are sparse. Dust observations from Iceland provide dust aerosol distributions during the Arctic winter for the first time, profiling dust storms as well as clean air conditions. Five winter dust storms were captured during harsh conditions. Mean number concentrations during the non-dust flights were <5 particles cm⁻³ for the particles 0.2–100 µm in diameter and >40 particles cm⁻³ during dust storms. A moderate dust storm with >250 particles cm⁻³ (2 km altitude) was captured on 10^th January 2016 as a result of sediments suspended from glacial outburst flood Skaftahlaup in 2015. Similar concentrations were reported previously in the Saharan air layer. Detected particle sizes were up to 20 µm close to the surface, up to 10 µm at 900 m altitude, up to 5 µm at 5 km altitude, and submicron at altitudes >6 km. Dust sources in the Arctic are active during the winter and produce large amounts of particulate matter dispersed over long distances and high altitudes. HLD contributes to Arctic air pollution and has the potential to influence ice nucleation in mixed-phase clouds and Arctic amplification.

Experimental simulations of volcanic ash resuspension by wind under the effects of atmospheric humidity

Ash deposited during volcanic eruptions can be resuspended by wind and become hazardous for health and infrastructure hours to decades after an eruption. Accurate resuspension forecasting requires accurate modelling of the threshold friction velocity of the volcanic particles (U_th*), which is the key parameter controlling volcanic ash detachment by wind. Using an environmental wind tunnel facility this study provides much needed experimental data on volcanic particle resuspension, with the first systematic parameterization of U_th* for ash from the regions Campi Flegrei in Italy and also Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. In this study atmospheric relative humidity (and related ash moisture content) was systematically varied, from <10% to >90%, which in the case of the Eyjafjallajökull fine ash (<63 μm) produced a twofold increase in U_th*. Using the Campi Flegrei fine ash (<63 μm) an increase in U_th* of only around a factor of 1.5 was observed. Reasonable agreement with force balance resuspension models was seen, which implied an increase in interparticle adhesion force of up to a factor of six due to high humidity. Our results imply that, contrary to dry conditions, one single modelling scheme may not satisfy the resuspension of volcanic ash from different eruptions under wet conditions.

Assessment of the potential respiratory hazard of volcanic ash from future Icelandic eruptions: a study of archived basaltic to rhyolitic ash samples

BACKGROUND

The eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull (2010) and Grímsvötn (2011), Iceland, triggered immediate, international consideration of the respiratory health hazard of inhaling volcanic ash, and prompted the need to estimate the potential hazard posed by future eruptions of Iceland's volcanoes to Icelandic and Northern European populations.

METHODS

A physicochemical characterization and toxicological assessment was conducted on a suite of archived ash samples spanning the spectrum of past eruptions (basaltic to rhyolitic magmatic composition) of Icelandic volcanoes following a protocol specifically designed by the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network.

RESULTS

Icelandic ash can be of a respirable size (up to 11.3 vol.% < 4 μm), but the samples did not display physicochemical characteristics of pathogenic particulate in terms of composition or morphology. Ash particles were generally angular, being composed of fragmented glass and crystals. Few fiber-like particles were observed, but those present comprised glass or sodium oxides, and are not related to pathogenic natural fibers, like asbestos or fibrous zeolites, thereby limiting concern of associated respiratory diseases. None of the samples contained cristobalite or tridymite, and only one sample contained quartz, minerals of interest due to the potential to cause silicosis. Sample surface areas are low, ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 m² g^-1, which aligns with analyses on ash from other eruptions worldwide. All samples generated a low level of hydroxyl radicals (HO^•), a measure of surface reactivity, through the iron-catalyzed Fenton reaction compared to concurrently analyzed comparative samples. However, radical generation increased after 'refreshing' sample surfaces, indicating that newly erupted samples may display higher reactivity. A composition-dependent range of available surface iron was measured after a 7-day incubation, from 22.5 to 315.7 μmol m^-2, with mafic samples releasing more iron than silicic samples. All samples were non-reactive in a test of red blood cell-membrane damage.

CONCLUSIONS

The primary particle-specific concern is the potential for future eruptions of Iceland's volcanoes to generate fine, respirable material and, thus, to increase ambient PM concentrations. This particularly applies to highly explosive silicic eruptions, but can also hold true for explosive basaltic eruptions or discrete events associated with basaltic fissure eruptions.

Dynamics of volcanic ash remobilisation by wind through the Patagonian steppe after the eruption of Cordón Caulle, 2011

Wind erosion of freshly-deposited volcanic ash causes persistent storms, strongly affecting ecosystems and human activity. Wind erosion of the volcanic ash was measured up to 17 months after the ash deposition, at 7 sites located within the ash-deposition area. The mass flux was measured up to 1.5 m above ground level. Mass transport rates were over 125 times the soil wind-erosion rates observed before the ash deposition, reaching up to 6.3 kg m^-1 day^-1. Total mass transport of ash during the 17 months ranged between 113.6 and 969.9 kg m^-1 depending on topographic location and wind exposure. The vertical distribution of the mass flux at sites with higher vegetation cover was generally inverted as compared to sites with lower vegetation cover. This situation lasted 7 months and then a shift towards a more uniform vertical distribution was observed, in coincidence with the beginning of the decline of the mass transport rates. Decay rates differed between sites. Despite changes over time, an inverse linear correlation between the mass transports and the mass-flux gradients was found. Both the mass-flux gradients and the average mass-transport rates were not linked with shear-stress partition parameters, but with the ratio: ash-fall thickness to total vegetation cover.

Long-term dust aerosol production from natural sources in Iceland

Iceland is a volcanic island in the North Atlantic Ocean with maritime climate. In spite of moist climate, large areas are with limited vegetation cover where >40% of Iceland is classified with considerable to very severe erosion and 21% of Iceland is volcanic sandy deserts. Not only do natural emissions from these sources influenced by strong winds affect regional air quality in Iceland ("Reykjavik haze"), but dust particles are transported over the Atlantic ocean and Arctic Ocean >1000 km at times. The aim of this paper is to place Icelandic dust production area into international perspective, present long-term frequency of dust storm events in northeast Iceland, and estimate dust aerosol concentrations during reported dust events. Meteorological observations with dust presence codes and related visibility were used to identify the frequency and the long-term changes in dust production in northeast Iceland. There were annually 16.4 days on average with reported dust observations on weather stations within the northeastern erosion area, indicating extreme dust plume activity and erosion within the northeastern deserts, even though the area is covered with snow during the major part of winter. During the 2000s the highest occurrence of dust events in six decades was reported. We have measured saltation and Aeolian transport during dust/volcanic ash storms in Iceland, which give some of the most intense wind erosion events ever measured. Icelandic dust affects the ecosystems over much of Iceland and causes regional haze. It is likely to affect the ecosystems of the oceans around Iceland, and it brings dust that lowers the albedo of the Icelandic glaciers, increasing melt-off due to global warming. The study indicates that Icelandic dust may contribute to the Arctic air pollution.

IMPLICATIONS

Long-term records of meteorological dust observations from Northeast Iceland indicate the frequency of dust events from Icelandic deserts. The research involves a 60-year period and provides a unique perspective of the dust aerosol production from natural sources in the sub-Arctic Iceland. The amounts are staggering, and with this paper, it is clear that Icelandic dust sources need to be considered among major global dust sources. This paper presents the dust events directly affecting the air quality in the Arctic region.

The Effects of Habitat Type and Volcanic Eruptions on the Breeding Demography of Icelandic Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus

Distinct preference of species for habitats is most often driven by long term differences in demographic rates between habitats. Estimating variation in those rates is key for developing successful conservation strategies. Stochastic events can interact with underlying variation in habitat quality in regulating demography but the opportunities to explore such interactions are rare. Whimbrels in Iceland show a strong preference for sparsely vegetated riverplains. Such habitats in Iceland face various threats, e.g., climate change, river regulation and spread of alien plant species. In this study we compared demographic parameters of breeding Whimbrels between riverplains and other habitats before, during and after volcanic eruption events to estimate the importance of the habitats for the species and the effect of ash deposit on breeding success. We found that an estimated minimum of 23% of the Icelandic population of Whimbrels and c. 10% of the world population of the species breed in riverplain habitats in Iceland. Whimbrels bred consistently at much higher densities in riverplain habitats than in other habitats and riverplains also had higher densities of pairs with fledglings although the proportion of successful breeders was similar between habitats. Predation by livestock may have had a considerable negative effect on breeding success on our study sites. Breeding was negatively affected by the volcanic activity, probably through the effects of ash on the invertebrate food supply, with breeding success being gradually worse closer to the eruption. Breeding success was equally affected by volcanism across habitats which differed in underlying habitat quality. This study gives an example of how populations can be regulated by factors which operate at different spatial scales, such as local variation in habitat quality and stochastic events which impact larger areas.

Ecosystem recharge by volcanic dust drives broad-scale variation in bird abundance

Across the globe, deserts and volcanic eruptions produce large volumes of atmospheric dust, and the amount of dust is predicted to increase with global warming. The effects of long-distance airborne dust inputs on ecosystem productivity are potentially far-reaching but have primarily been measured in soil and plants. Airborne dust could also drive distribution and abundance at higher trophic levels, but opportunities to explore these relationships are rare. Here we use Iceland's steep dust deposition gradients to assess the influence of dust on the distribution and abundance of internationally important ground-nesting bird populations. Surveys of the abundance of breeding birds at 729 locations throughout lowland Iceland were used to explore the influence of dust deposition on bird abundance in agricultural, dry, and wet habitats. Dust deposition had a strong positive effect on bird abundance across Iceland in dry and wet habitats, but not in agricultural land where nutrient levels are managed. The abundance of breeding waders, the dominant group of terrestrial birds in Iceland, tripled on average between the lowest and highest dust deposition classes in both wet and dry habitats. The deposition and redistribution of volcanic materials can have powerful impacts in terrestrial ecosystems and can be a major driver of the abundance of higher trophic-level organisms at broad spatial scales. The impacts of volcanic ash deposition during eruptions and subsequent redistribution of unstable volcanic materials are strong enough to override effects of underlying variation in organic matter and clay content on ecosystem fertility. Global rates of atmospheric dust deposition are likely to increase with increasing desertification and glacier retreat, and this study demonstrates that the effects on ecosystems are likely to be far-reaching, both in terms of spatial scales and ecosystem components.

Emergency hospital visits in association with volcanic ash, dust storms and other sources of ambient particles: a time-series study in Reykjavík, Iceland

Volcanic ash contributed significantly to particulate matter (PM) in Iceland following the eruptions in Eyjafjallajökull 2010 and Grímsvötn 2011. This study aimed to investigate the association between different PM sources and emergency hospital visits for cardiorespiratory causes from 2007 to 2012. Indicators of PM₁₀ sources; “volcanic ash”, “dust storms”, or “other sources” (traffic, fireworks, and re-suspension) on days when PM₁₀ exceeded the daily air quality guideline value of 50 µg/m³ were entered into generalized additive models, adjusted for weather, time trend and co-pollutants. The average number of daily emergency hospital visits was 10.5. PM₁₀ exceeded the air quality guideline value 115 out of 2191 days; 20 days due to volcanic ash, 14 due to dust storms (two days had both dust storm and ash contribution) and 83 due to other sources. High PM₁₀ levels from volcanic ash tended to be significantly associated with the emergency hospital visits; estimates ranged from 4.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.6, 9.2%) per day of exposure in unadjusted models to 7.3% (95% CI: −0.4, 15.5%) in adjusted models. Dust storms were not consistently associated with daily emergency hospital visits and other sources tended to show a negative association. We found some evidence indicating that volcanic ash particles were more harmful than particles from other sources, but the results were inconclusive and should be interpreted with caution.