Title
Effusion Rates on Mt. Etna and Their Influence on Lava Flow Hazard Assessment
Abstract
The rate at which lava is discharged plays a key role in controlling the distance covered by lava flows from eruptive vents. We investigate the available time-averaged discharge rates (TADRs) estimated for recent flank eruptions at Mt. Etna volcano (Italy), in order to define a possible generalized effusion rate trend which is consistent with observed real data. Our analysis indicates a rapid waxing phase in which effusion rate peaks occur for between 0.5 and 29% of the total eruption time, followed by a progressive decrease in the waning phase. Three generalized curves are built by calculating the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles values associated with the occurrence of effusion peaks, and with the slope variations of descending curves in the waning phase. The obtained curves are used as an input for the GPUFLOW model in order to perform numerical simulations of the lava flows paths on inclined planes, and are compared with those generated by using effusion rate curves with a bell-shaped time-distribution. Our tests show how these characteristic curves could impact single-vent scenarios, as well as short- and long-term hazard maps, with maximum variations of up to 40% for a specific category of eruptive events.
Year
DOI
Venue
2022
10.3390/rs14061366
REMOTE SENSING
Keywords
DocType
Volume
lava flows, flank eruptions, trend analysis, numerical simulations
Journal
14
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
6
2072-4292
0
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.34
0
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Francesco Zuccarello100.34
Giuseppe Bilotta200.68
Annalisa Cappello300.68
Gaetana Ganci401.35