Muon tomography of volcanoes in South America
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
This proposal focuses on investigating the potential of muon tomography to study volcanoes in South America with a goal to predict an eruption, warn population nearby to avoid dramatic consequences.
There are more than a dozen of active volcanoes in Colombia and more than 100 overall in South America that represent significant risk to the population in nearby towns. Sudden eruptions of these volcanoes in the past caused major disasters, the latest one being the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz that melted snow and ice sending lahars into the populated area that resulted in about 20,000 casualties. Preventing volcano eruptions is impossible, but studying volcano structures and monitoring their activity may reduce the risk of disasters.
Muon tomography has already been established as a tool for studying geological structures and man-made constructions, such as pyramids, volcanoes and geological repositories for CO2 storage. The potential of the technique has been recognised and sensitivity has been evaluated for some specific cases. We propose here to investigate the sensitivity of this technique to study and monitor the upper structure of volcanoes in South America to predict possible preferential pathways of debris during eventual eruptions thus reducing significantly the risk of associated disasters.
There are more than a dozen of active volcanoes in Colombia and more than 100 overall in South America that represent significant risk to the population in nearby towns. Sudden eruptions of these volcanoes in the past caused major disasters, the latest one being the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz that melted snow and ice sending lahars into the populated area that resulted in about 20,000 casualties. Preventing volcano eruptions is impossible, but studying volcano structures and monitoring their activity may reduce the risk of disasters.
Muon tomography has already been established as a tool for studying geological structures and man-made constructions, such as pyramids, volcanoes and geological repositories for CO2 storage. The potential of the technique has been recognised and sensitivity has been evaluated for some specific cases. We propose here to investigate the sensitivity of this technique to study and monitor the upper structure of volcanoes in South America to predict possible preferential pathways of debris during eventual eruptions thus reducing significantly the risk of associated disasters.
Planned Impact
We expect that the technique of cosmic-ray muon observation will provide a useful tool for studying volcano structure. Long-term monitoring of upper structure of volcanoes may help to identify periods of increased volcano activities and predict possible eruptions. Eventually warning people living nearby of a potential danger may save lives which will have an impact on the society. Our goal is to investigate the potential of monitoring South American volcanoes using muons, together with the team of scientists from Colombia and other South American universities. The prime beneficiaries of this research will be the people and society in South American countries. We plan to share the results of our studies with geophysicists, volcanologists and governmental agencies responsible for monitoring volcano activities and secure people's safety.
Publications
Thompson L
(2022)
Muography - Exploring Earth's Subsurface with Elementary Particles
Vesga-RamÃrez A
(2021)
Simulated Annealing for volcano muography
in Journal of South American Earth Sciences
| Description | A new method of simulation and analysing muon events, and reconstructing the internal structure of volcanoes has been developed. This may help to identify the tunnels/voids in the upper layers of a volcano that may create pathways for an emerging lava during possible eruptions. This may help reducing damage from volcano eruptions. |
| Exploitation Route | Muon detectors can be installed around active volcanoes to investigate and monitor their structure. |
| Sectors | Environment,Healthcare |
| Description | A prototype of the muon detector/telescope has been built and tested at the In austral University of Santander (our partners from Colombia) and is being deployed at one of the volcanoes in Colombia. In future this may help creating a network of similar devices to be installed around active volcanoes to investigate and monitor the structure of their upper layers to identify possible pathways for lava during eruptions. This will help to reduce the risk of disasters and damage from volcano eruptions. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2019 |
| Sector | Environment,Healthcare |
| Impact Types | Societal,Economic |
| Title | Monte Carlo modelling of muon events (from 2008) |
| Description | This is the method of simulating and analysing muon events that produce background for rare event search experiments. This method was developed and improved over a number of years as part of various projects and affected the outcomes of these projects. R&D towards new facility at the Boulby Underground Laboratory to host large rare event search experiments DUNE and other neutrino related experiments (Monte Carlo generator for cosmic-ray muons) LZ experiment Muon tomography work |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2008 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Many scientific collaborations are using this method. |
| Title | Muon tomography of volcanoes |
| Description | The method/tool includes interfacing several computer models to allow simulations of cosmic-ray muons applied to muon tomography of volcanoes. The first step is the geophysical model of a volcano, including faults in rock structure and possible route for magma in case of eruption. The 2nd step is the simulation of cosmic-ray showers in the atmosphere above the volcano and recording of muons. The third step is the transport of muons through the volcano. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The method allows us to study the sensitivity of muon tomography technique to investigate volcanic structure and predict possible paths for magma during eruptions. Given a large number of volcanoes in South America, some of them causing potential threat to population and infrastructure, monitoring volcanoes using this muon tomography technique may be vital for preventing large-scale disasters. Our Colombian and Mexican partners are very interested in developing this technique and the first muon telescope is currently under construction at the Industrial University of Santander (Bucaramanga, Colombia), our partner organisation. |
| URL | http://www.hep.shef.ac.uk/research/muontomographyvolcanoes |
| Description | Muon tomography of volcanoes in South America |
| Organisation | Industrial University of Santander |
| Country | Colombia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in particle physics, muon transport, modelling in particle physics, detector development. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Geophysical models, detector development. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary collaboration: particle and astroparticle physics, geophysics, volcanology. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Muon tomography of volcanoes in South America |
| Organisation | Universidad de Londres |
| Country | Mexico |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in particle physics, muon transport, modelling in particle physics, detector development. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Geophysical models, detector development. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary collaboration: particle and astroparticle physics, geophysics, volcanology. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | SilentBorder |
| Organisation | University of Tartu |
| Country | Estonia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This is a project funded by Horizon 2020 in collaboration with the University of Tartu, Universite Catholique de Louvain, German Aerospace Centre, G-Scan, SGS, CAEN and border agencies. The collaboration is working on a muon tomography system for scanning lorries and containers. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This is a project funded by Horizon 2020 in collaboration with the University of Tartu, Universite Catholique de Louvain, German Aerospace Centre, G-Scan, SGS, CAEN and border agencies. The collaboration is working on a muon tomography system for scanning lorries and containers. |
| Impact | Multidisciplinary collaboration involving universities and industrial partners. Disciplines: particle physics, engineering, electronics, border security. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Title | Muon simulation code (from 2013) |
| Description | A Monte Carlo code for modelling cosmic-ray muons at different underground sites, including SURF at South Dakota, USA (site for DUNE, LZ and LUX experiments), Modane, France (site for the EDELWEISS experiment) and Boulby in the UK (potential site for the next generation rare search experiment). |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2013 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | The code allows calculation of the muon fluxes and energy spectra underground. Initial simulations have been done for underground laboratories in Italy, France and others. In 2015 the model and method have first been applied to the SURF underground laboratory in the USA. Recent improvements to the model have been made for the DUNE experiment at SURF and recently for the Boulby site. Also used for muon simulations in geological repositories. |
| Description | Interview with The New York Times magazine (Science) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Interview with a science journalist of The New York Times magazine (Science). Extract published in the magazine. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A seminar (talk) given by our collaborator from the Industrial University of Santander on scientific projects at IUS. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Workshop at IUS |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A workshop between physicists and geophysicists in Colombia and particle physicists (Sheffield, UK) on muon tomography of volcanoes. Discussion of possible future projects within the UK-Colombia partnership. Knowledge exchange: expertise in particle and muon simulations has been passed to Colombian partners including specific training activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Workshop in Sheffield (volcanoes) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 2nd workshop on the muon tomography of volcanoes in Colombia, this time in Sheffield. Plans for future activities were also discussed. Participants were from Industrial University of Santander (Bucaramanga, Colombia) and University of Sheffield (UK). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |