Volcanic Gas Clouds and Emergency Preparedness
Scientists have recently discovered that volcanic gas clouds can travel for miles and reach speeds of 400 miles per hour by essentially riding on air cushions, dramatically increasing the potential geographic reach – and threat severity – of a volcano emergency. This is obviously not good news and represents something that utilities located in the western part of the U.S. may want to consider for inclusion into emergency plans and protocols.
The Science Behind Rapid Speed Volcanic Gas Clouds
Scientists have conducted recent experiments that prove volcanic gas clouds and other volcanic materials can travel farther and faster than anyone previously thought. The primary reason is that the flow of a typical volcanic cloud (called a pyroclastic flow) forces gas to push downward from the upper portion due to reduced air pressure at the base. This effect, which apparently only takes a few milliseconds, creates a thin layer of air at the bottom of the cloud, which reduces friction and increases velocity. This is similar to “greasing the skids” or how a hovercraft might work.
Scientists have compared this “lubrication” to the way the holes in an air hockey table “lubricate” the puck to reduce friction, thereby enabling it to travel farther and faster than would be otherwise possible. They also hypothesize that this lubrication effect likely impacts the velocity of other events like avalanches and mudslides.
And unfortunately, scientists found that the ruggedness of the terrain does not negatively impact the speed at which volcanic gas clouds can travel, so utilities located in mountainous regions are not off the hook. In fact, these clouds can actually scale medium-sized mountains.
The good news is that these recent findings may eventually help predict the course and pattern of volcanic gas clouds in the future, which could help from an emergency preparedness perspective, especially for utilities located in the western part of the United States. But other than that, it’s not good news, and represents yet another potential risk to consider.
