Jaén University Researchers to Study Volcanic Ash Stability in Antarctica

Researchers from the University of Jaén (UJA) are traveling to Antarctica to study the physical parameters affecting the stability of volcanic ash on Deception Island. The team will be stationed at the Spanish Gabriel de Castilla base for a month. The research focuses on volcanic ash that can cause landslides and dangerous mudflows (lahars). A previous lahar destroyed a British base. The team notes that melting glaciers due to global warming increase the risk of these events in polar regions. This is the first UJA team to participate in the Spanish Antarctic Research Campaign with a project from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, coordinated by the Spanish Polar Committee. The team includes physicists, geologists, and geomatics experts: Alfonso Ontiveros, Manolo Ureña, Mario Sánchez Gómez, Isabel Abad, Elena Giménez, and José Alberto Moleón. The instability of volcano slopes is a major risk. Slopes made of pyroclastic deposits (tephra) often have low cohesion, making them the weakest part of the volcano. Volcanic materials, especially fine tephra (ash and lapilli), are susceptible to weathering, which reduces their geotechnical resistance over time. Events like climate change, volcanic activity, or seismic activity can trigger landslides, mudflows (lahars), or even the collapse of part of the volcano. Deception Island is an active volcano and a natural laboratory for studying these phenomena. It has experienced catastrophic lahars and destruction of settlements. The island has recent ash deposits with limited weathering in a cold climate. The risk of landslides on Deception Island is increasing due to the reduction of permafrost and the increase of the active layer, due to global warming. The study aims to analyze the surface properties of tephra and calculate the total interaction energy between the particles in the deposit. Previous research suggests that these physical-chemical variables depend on the geochemical/mineralogical nature of the deposit, its degree of alteration, and its evolution under different environmental conditions. These parameters determine the susceptibility of volcanic material to landslides. The Spanish Antarctic Research Campaign involves cooperation between public institutions for R&D&I, within the framework of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation. The 2024-2025 campaign includes activities related to 28 research projects.