Experimental Modeling of Tsunamis Generated by Pyroclastic Density Currents: The Effects of Particle Size Distribution on Wave Generation

Abstract

Volcanic tsunamis can expand the radius of hazards posed by a volcano well beyond the reach of the eruption itself; however, their source mechanisms are poorly understood. The tsunamigenic potential of pyroclastic density currents was studied experimentally by releasing a fluidized column of glass beads from a reservoir; the beads then ran down an inclined ramp into a water-filled flume and generated waves. The effects of the particle size distribution on the generated waves were analyzed by comparing the waves generated by flows comprising different proportions of particles of diameters 63–90 μm and 600–850 μm. The flows comprising higher proportions of large particles travel more slowly down the ramp; however, all the flows impact the water at velocities greater than the shallow water wave speed, (Formula presented.), where h is the still-water depth. The entrance of the fluidized flow into the water generates a solitary-like leading wave followed by a smaller trough and trailing waves. Upon impact, the flow separates into a part advected with the wave crest and a part which turbulently mixes with water and propagates along the bottom of the flume, forming an underwater gravity current. A higher proportion of large particles makes the flows more porous, allowing the water to penetrate through the flows more easily, slightly decreasing the efficiency of the energy transfer. While this affects the celerity of the waves, the results show that, over the studied range of particle size distributions, all the flows can generate waves of similar amplitudes regardless of the particle size distribution.