At present, I am also involved in an international project which will assess the suitability of high-performance clothing used by Geoscientists/Volcanologists while operating on rugged volcanic terrain. This will be achieved through a series of in-situ and laboratory tests which will be carried out by myself and my on-site support team in New Zealand.
The types of outdoor apparel which will be assessed are primarily jackets and pants. When working in volcanic environments it is very important to be properly equipped for working in such hazardous settings to ensure safety and minimise hazards exposure.
The focus of the investigated field activities will be on two different scenarios:
- Walking on volcanic terrain during heavy rain and wind episodes
- Rock sampling activities in wet and windy conditions
The parameters will be explored in the field are listed below and will be assessed on a scale from 0 (low) to 5 (high):
- Waterproofness
- Windproofness
- Durability
- Mobility
Furthermore, two types of laboratory experiments are planned to complement in-situ observations:
- Exposure of outdoor apparel to gravitationally free-falling dry abrasive volcanic ash
- Prolonged exposure of outdoor apparel to an ash-water mixture (ash particles will be 2 micron in size)
This proposed in-situ and laboratory investigative approach shall aid in assessing the suitability of currently available professional high-performance clothing adequate for scientific missions in volcanic environments.
© Ermanno Brosch 2024. All rights reserved.
