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Simulations of the 2004 lava flow at etna volcano by the magflow cellular automata model
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Abstract
Lava flows represent a challenge for physically based modeling, since the mechanical
properties of lava change over time. This change is ruled by a temperature field, which needs
to be modeled. MAGFLOW Cellular Automata (CA) model was developed for physically
based simulations of lava flows in near real-time. We introduced an algorithm based on the
Monte Carlo approach to solve the anisotropic problem. As transition rule of CA, a steady
state solution of Navier-Stokes equations was adopted in the case of isothermal laminar
pressure-driven Bingham fluid. For the cooling mechanism, we consider the radiative heat
loss only from the surface of the flow, and the change of the temperature due to mixture of
lavas between cells with different temperatures. The model was applied to reproduce a real
lava flow occurred during the 2004-2005 Etna eruption. The simulations were computed
using three different empirical relationships between viscosity and temperature