EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE RE-MOVEMENT PROCESS OF PUMICE STONES BETWEEN THE STRUCTURES

Abstract

 The pumice resulting from a volcanic eruption poses severe problems for society and economic systems. Previous studies have indicated that waves, currents, and winds influence the drifting and accumulating of pumice in coastal areas and structures. However, few studies have been done on the redrifting and re-accumulating of pumice between structures in shallow water, largely due to the challenges in replicating the phenomenon. In this study, we utilize a wind tunnel tank to replicate the accumulation of pumice between structures and examine the impact of wave and wind fields on its re-drifting and re-accumulating. As a result, (1) The air density of pumice can be used to calculate its drift period. (2) Wind and structures influence re-drifting pumice more than waves. (3) Pumice may form rafts during windy conditions. (4) The rate of pumice accumulation in structures can be calculated using wind velocity and pumice particle size.