N.M. Tech team studying lightning at Chilean volcano
SOCORRO, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Tech scientists are in Chile, working to track lightning in an ash plume from the Chaiten volcano, which began erupting May 2 after thousands of years of silence.
"Our business is studying thunderstorms and how they produce lightning," Tech physics professor Paul Krehbiel said. "Volcanoes do the same thing, in essence. We call it a dirty thunderstorm because the plume is full of dirt, rock, ash and other particles."
Tech scientists will study the path of lightning in the plume to gain understanding of how electrical activity is transmitted from the Earth into the atmosphere.
"With each lightning flash, we'll be able to monitor how it moves through the clouds and where it goes," said Ron Thomas, professor of electrical engineering. "If we take all our theories about lightning created in thunderstorms, we can learn about both types of lightning."
Three researchers who left Saturday for Chile are setting up four mapping sensors developed by Tech professors and students over the past 13 years. The equipment will be set up on Chiloe Island, across the bay from Chaiten.
Tech's research into lightning, generated both by volcanoes and thunderstorms, has led to patented sensing technology that allows scientists, meteorologists and storm chasers to pierce clouds to "see" lightning as it occurs. Tech's team is using new technology developed by Tech electrical engineering professor William Rison.
Tech first deployed lightning sensors at Alaska's Mount St. Augustine, which erupted December 2005 through February 2006. Because Tech had only two sensors there, it could not accurately map the lightning's path in three dimensions.
The team plans to use four sensors to track lightning from the Chilean volcano.
"One reason we're rushing into this project is that it's a great opportunity to study a very large eruption. These opportunities don't come around that often," said earth science professor Jeffrey Johnson, an expert in sound waves created by volcanoes. "This volcano is explosive. We know from previous studies and from the past two weeks that these explosive volcanoes happen infrequently, but create tremendous activity."
The team of Thomas, Rison and Johnson will leave the sensors unattended for up to three months, then return to collect the data.
They'll measure the time signals arrive at the four different stations, which will enable them to determine the location and time of the lightning surges.
Radio waves created by lightning travel about one foot per nanosecond. The sensors capture information every 40 nanoseconds and will be able to pinpoint a three-dimensional location of lightning within about 40 feet, Krehbiel said.
The Chaiten volcano, about 650 miles south of Santiago, has forced the evacuation of thousands of people from the town of Chaiten, nearby villages and farms
