Doppler Radar Sounding of Volcanic Eruption Dynamics at Mount Etna
Abstract
Based on the UHF wind profiler technique, a medium power (100 W) pulsed Doppler radar has been specifically developed for the sounding of explosive volcanic jets. Named Voldorad (Volcanological Doppler Radar), this radar can operate at medium distance ( ~0.5 - 4 km) from the active vent and is compact enough to be easily set up on a volcano. The last version of the radar is housed in one unit ( ~60x60x60 cm) and its total weight is ~50 kg. A PC is used for real-time monitoring and data storage. The radar antenna is a 2*2 array of 24 elements Yagi antenna (9° beamwidth) set up on a tripod which is steerable in azimuth and elevation. A pulsed signal (typical duration 0.75 μ s) is transmitted every 100 μ s with a wavelength of 23.5 cm. After amplification and filtering, the received signal is digitized. Each digitized sample corresponds to a received echo at a selected time (i.e. selected range), thus defining the so-called range gates. The Doppler spectrum is then computed for each gate. Three parameters characterizing the ejecta can be deduced from this spectrum: reflectivity, mean velocity and maximum velocity of the jet particles. We present results from experimental campains at Mount Etna during strombolian activity of the SE crater in October 1998 and July 2001. Quasi-continuous and powerful echoes were observed in the central gates, on either side of the jet axis, whereas echoes of side gates were weaker and more intermittent. The temporal variations of the radar signal were analyzed at two time scales. First, the time variations of reflectivity appear to be a good indicator of the long-term evolution of the eruption and also follow the overall trend of the tremor signal. Secondly, detailed analysis of the radar signal (typical integration time ~64 ms) reveals 5 s periodic outbursts during fountain activity. Moreover, the maximum velocity of the jet particles estimated from Doppler spectra might represent the velocity of the finest particles directly entrained by gas.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFM.V42A0992D
- Keywords:
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- 7280 Volcano seismology (8419);
- 8414 Eruption mechanisms;
- 8494 Instruments and techniques