Volcanic eruption volume flux estimations from very long period infrasound signals

Abstract

Abstract We examine very long period infrasonic signals accompanying volcanic eruptions near active vents at Lokon‐Empung volcano in Indonesia, Aso, Kuchinoerabujima, and Kirishima volcanoes in Japan. The excitation of the very long period pulse is associated with an explosion, the emerging of an eruption column, and a pyroclastic density current. We model the excitation of the infrasound pulse, assuming a monopole source, to quantify the volume flux and cumulative volume of erupting material. The infrasound‐derived volume flux and cumulative volume can be less than half of the video‐derived results. A largely positive correlation can be seen between the infrasound‐derived volume flux and the maximum eruption column height. Therefore, our result suggests that the analysis of very long period volcanic infrasound pulses can be helpful in estimating the maximum eruption column height.