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Lagrangian volcanic ash transport from sea surface to seafloor following the January 15, 2022, eruption of Hunga volcano.

Marcus Chaknova, Thomas Giachetti, Kristen Fauria, Liam Kelly

  • Affiliations: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Oregon, USA; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Monday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 245

  • Programme No: 2.4.27

  • Theme 2 > Session 4

Abstract

The January 15, 2022, eruption of Hunga volcano produced an ashfall isopach deposit ~450 km in diameter, extending >200 km from source. Utilizing a predicted isopach at the sea surface and a 3D lagrangian particle tracking model, we predict the dispersion of 2022 Hunga volcano ashfall from sea surface to seafloor. Seafloor cores containing ashfall facies from the eruption are used as control points within the model. Previous works support suggest that high ash concentrations remain in the top 20 m of the water column remains high for  ~approximately 10 ten days after the eruption. Based on this observation, we hypothesize that a significant portion of Hunga's ashfall did not rapidly settle through the water column and subsequently was potentially displaced via ocean currents. This would result in a vastly different seafloor isopach to its corresponding sea surface isopach. To test this hypothesis, we use a predicted isopach at the sea surface and a 3D Lagrangian particle tracking model to predict the dispersion of 2022 Hunga volcano ashfall from the sea surface to the seafloor. Seafloor cores containing ashfall facies from the eruption are used as control points within the model. Investigating submarine particle transport following volcanic eruptions will elucidate the transport potential of volcanic ash in the submarine realm. Such knowledge would greatly benefit interdisplinary studies on the effect of volcanic ash in marine ecosystems.