AVAST · Advanced Volcanic Ash characteriSaTion

Advanced Volcanic Ash characteriSaTion

The problem: Airborne volcanic ash is particularly hazardous to aviation. When ash falls it also poses hazards to health, infrastructure, agriculture and the environment. Following the closure of European airspace during the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, causing an estimated €1.7 billion loss to the aviation industry, the impacts of volcanic ash rose to the top of the agenda for civil society. Ash dispersion models are crucial to risk assessments of air traffic routes, however their usefulness requires a better scientific basis for input parameters including ash particle characteristics (size distribution, shape, composition). In addition, volcanic ash particle characteristics modify sintering and abrasion intensity, and are essential for jet turbine engine manufacturers to test the resilience of their products to ash ingestion, as required by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The sooner the size, shape and composition of volcanic ash can be estimated, the more effective the response. I aim to show how rapid characterisation of volcanic ash particle properties using QEMSCAN® Particle Mineralogical Analysis (an automated mineralogy tool) can help to determine risks to aviation and interpret deformation during volcanic eruptions in order to help predict and respond to volcanic crises. The goal of AVAST is to create a proven, open framework to predict volcanic ash properties produced during different eruptive activity. I aim to characterise ash particles to deliver a ‘map’ linking ash particle characteristics and fragmentation mechanisms that can be used to better inform ash-plume dispersion models and turbine engine resilience tests and to predict ash particle properties during monitored volcanic activity.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз