Paper Sample on Volcanic Lightning

Introduction

Volcanism occurs when molten rock erupts onto the Earth's surface with lava and volcanic gases emitted through a vent. Volcanic lightning can be described as a phenomenon that arises due to the collision and fragmentation of volcanic ash particles responsible for generating static electricity within the volcanic plume hence the name dirty thunderstorm. Volcanic plumes consist of mixtures of volcanic particles and gases (Cimarelli et al., 2014). This volcanic big volcanic ash particles'ing can be triggered by the cice formation, which drives the eruption plume dynamics. Volcanic light,ning tends to occur at any time of the day, but most likely can be visible at night because it may even crackle during the day and the disappear in the sun’s glare.

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Volcanic Lightning

According to records, volcanic lightning is an incredible visual phenomenon; approximately 200 eruptions were recorded 200 years ago (Cimarelli et al., 2014). Typically, volcanic lightning is not formed deep inside the Earth but due to ash particles' friction where the gaining and losing of electrons occurs, thus becoming electrically charged particles. The charged dust particles ascend the plume encounters the charge separation; therefore, positively charged dust particles become increasingly separated from the oppositely charged dust particles. After the charge separation dominates in the system, the air provides resistance to the flow of electricity. The lightning penetrates through the volcanic plume and tearing it to establish a connection between the positively charged and the negatively charged particles (Cimarelli et al., 2014).

This phenomenon happens in volcanic plume regions with a cylindrically shaped column of volcanic ashes emissions through volcano eruptions. The volcanic plume consists of tiny particles that undergo tight compression beneath the volcano. Above the ground is the airy atmosphere, which is relative to less dense. Due to these variations in density contributions add up to volcanic lightning. Volcanoes without the thick plume tend not to be associated with the volcanic lightning phenomenon. For instance, in Hawaii's regions, the volcanic occurrences tend to eject the fluid lava fountains rather than ash's thick plumes. The electrical charges display extraordinary projections during eruptions. The ground striking of lightning can be hazardous to life forms.

Sheet Lightning

In contrast, it mostly becomes hazardous to communications and human anxiety because it occurs between clouds from the column erupting to the crater. Large charge separation between both masses is a necessary condition for volcanic lighting to happen (NavarroGonzález, Molina & Molina, 1998). Lightning might appear in various forms and shapes: fire, bolt, sheet, or a combination as it had been the case in the Mt. St. Helens occurrence in 1980. Many people witnessed a memorable show of sheet lightning accompanied by Volkswagen sized St. Elmo's fire bouncing and rolling through the ground surface approximately 25 miles from the volcano source (NavarroGonzález, Molina & Molina, 1998).

The first-ever real-time with high definition imaging of volcanic lighting captured and witnessed by people who developed a significant interest globally is the one that occurred at Eyjafjallajokull on 17th April 2010. 13th February 2014, Indonesia’s Kelud volcano burst to life with the ground-rattling energy with 250 megatons of TNT. Records indicate that the last volcanic eruption occurred in 1944 though it was accurately described to approximately 2000 years ago during the explosion, which created a large amount of volcanic lightning (NavarroGonzález, Molina & Molina, 1998).

Plume heights of the ash plume are among the factors linked with the mechanism generating the lightning. Taller ash plumes approximating between 7 and 12km consist of large water vapor concentrations contributing to lighting activity (McNutt & Williams, 2010). In comparison, the smaller plumes range between 1 and 4 km, appearing to gain more of their electric charges obtained from the fragmentation of rocks existing nearer to the facto mission vent. These are factors affecting the volcanic lightning mechanism. Also, the atmospheric temperatures do play a significant role in the formation of lightning mechanism. Colder temperatures facilitate the freezing and ice charging within the plume; hence relatively more electrical activities are established (McNutt & Williams, 2010).

Conclusion

Research studies on volcanic deposits indicate that volcanic lighting establishes a by-product identified as lightning-induced volcanic spherules (LIVS). During high temperatures, the spherules are formed. Contacting the bolt to ash particles leads them to melt and solidify quickly during the cooling process, creating the orb shapes. Geological evidence can be produced by lightning-induced volcanic spherules, mainly when the lightning is not observed (Cimarelli et al., 2014).

References

Cimarelli, C., Alatorre-Ibargüengoitia, M. A., Kueppers, U., Scheu, B., & Dingwell, D. B. (2014). Experimental generation of volcanic lightning. Geology, 42(1), 79-82.
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article/42/1/79/131368

McNutt, S. R., & Williams, E. R. (2010). Volcanic lightning: global observations and constraints on source mechanisms. Bulletin of Volcanology, 72(10), 1153-1167.
http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/Input/steve/PUBS/McNutt-Williams-BV.pdf

NavarroGonzález, R., Molina, M. J., & Molina, L. T. (1998). Nitrogen fixation by volcanic lightning in the early Earth. Geophysical Research Letters, 25(16), 3123-3126.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1029/98GL02423.