Ermanno Brosch

Email:<http://www.privatedaddy.com/?q=XS4Bbh5BV116RVhnV19FGnlyNVt9QlBVUw-3D-3D_684>
Phone:+64 (06) 356 9099 x85894

Tertiary education

Masters Research

2014: ”Geochemical investigation of selected lava flows from Mt. Etna volcano (Italy).”

PhD Research

Title:

“Synthesizing dilute PDCs through large-scale experiments”

Aims

This PhD project aims at determining the processes and quantitative relationships that link the internal structure of dilute pyroclastic density currents to their hazard potential and deposit characteristics. The research builds on the hypothesis that the natural transport and sedimentation processes of dilute PDCs can be synthesized and probed directly in large-scale experiments involving variably hot natural volcanic material. The hypothesis encapsulates three main research objectives that will be explored in two series of large-scale experiments on the eruption simulator PELE.

Objectives

• Create the ability to synthesize dynamically-scaled analogues for dilute PDCs in large-scale experiments.
• Generate the first quantitative views inside dilute PDCs to better understand their transport, sedimentation and hazard
          mechanisms.
• Determine the influence of topography on transport and sedimentation behaviour.

Methods

• Design and test updated PELE set-up and measurement techniques
• Experimental series 1 (benchmark series): Dilute PDC runs with naturally scaled range in substrate roughness and
          temperature. Characterising PDC structure and processes and probing the space/time-variant deposition and link this to
          flow structure.
• Experimental series 2 (landscape series): Interaction of dilute PDCs with topographic obstacles. Characterisation as
          above to compare mass, energy and momentum balance to due flow-topography interaction

Research Interests

.

• Dilute pyroclastic density currents


• Large-scale experiments


• Volcanic hazards


• Drones (UAVs) in volcanology
        

Publications

• Journal Articles

• Brosch, E. and Hauzenberger, C.A. (2016) Geochemical investigation of selected lava flows from Mt. Etna volcano (Italy). Mitt. Österr. Mineral. Ges., 162: 27-48.