Rainfall and Volcanic Activity
Jenni Barclay, Adrian
Matthews, Jade Johnstone and Peter Hicks. In co-operation with the
Pyiko Williams (MVO) downloading one
of UEA's tipping bucket
raingauges on the flanks of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat
In January 2001 a network of 10 tipping bucket raingauges were deployed around the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. These were intended to help establish the relationship between rainfall and lahar activity but have also demonstrated a strong link between rainfall and primary volcanic activity. For more information see Adrian's website. To date only 3 of the original 10' gauges have completely survived the difficult conditions around the volcano!
Jade Johnstone is now working on a systematic assessment of the exact nature of this link as well as an analysis of the weather systems that bring triggering levels of rainfall. Peter Hicks is using a modelling approach to investigate the mechanisms behind intense rainfall triggering volcanic eruptions. This work is in conjunction with Mark Cooker from the School of Mathematics at UEA.
For obvious reasons much of this work also feeds into the UEA lahars project.
Updated March 2006- Rosie Cullington