At present, I am leading a project to assess the suitability of high-performance clothing used by Geoscientists 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 harsh environments, such as volcanic terrain, proper equipment is essential to ensure safety and minimize exposure to hazards.
The field activities focus on two different scenarios:
- Walking on volcanic terrain during heavy rain and wind episodes
- Rock sampling activities in wet and windy conditions
The following parameters will be examined in the field and assessed on a scale from 0 (low) to 5 (high):
- Waterproofness
- Windproofness
- Durability
- Mobility
Furthermore, two types of laboratory experiments will complement the 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 combined in-situ and laboratory investigative approach will help evaluate the suitability of existing high-performance professional clothing for scientific missions in volcanic environments.
© Ermanno Brosch 2025. All rights reserved.
