Electric Field Response to Geyser Fountain Dynamics

Electric Field Response to Geyser Fountain Dynamics | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Electric Field Response to Geyser Fountain Dynamics Julia E. Gestrich, Corrado Cimarelli, Alec J. Bennett, Antonio Capponi, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9231258/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Geyser eruptions generate transient water fountains that interact with the atmospheric electric field under repeatable and well-constrained conditions. These systems provide a natural setting to study coupled fluid flow and electrical processes, yet the mechanisms controlling the observed signals remain unclear. We present the first systematic investigation of short-term electric field fluctuations during geyser eruptions, combining electrical measurements with high-speed video observations at Strokkur geyser, Iceland. Using a Biral Thunderstorm Detector and an Electric Field Mill, we recorded electrical signals during eruption events in October 2025 and relate them directly to the evolving fountain geometry. We observe that the polarity and amplitude of electrical signals correlate strongly with the ambient atmospheric potential gradient. We develop a finite-element electrostatic model (FEMM) to quantify the partial electrostatic shielding effect of a grounded water fountain on the ambient electric field. We derive empirical equations relating fountain height, radius, and potential gradient to induced electrical currents, allowing for a direct comparison between modeled and observed signals. By inverting the electrical signal, we reconstruct time-varying fountain radii that closely match independent video observations. This result demonstrates that electrical measurements can be used to infer the geometry and temporal evolution of water jets. Our findings show that the dominant electrical response arises from the conductive water column modifying the surrounding electric field during rapid vertical growth. More broadly, this approach provides a new, non-intrusive method to quantify fountain geometry and outflow in dynamic hydrothermal systems, linking electrical observations to their physical behaviour. geyser electric field fountain size shielding Full Text Additional Declarations Competing interest reported. One of the authors (AJB) is employed by Senseca UK, which manufactures commercial thunderstorm detectors based on technology related to the BTD sensor used in this study. The remaining authors declare no competing interests. Supplementary Files Videos.zip SupplementaryMaterial.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 27 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 29 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 26 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 26 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 26 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9231258","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":615709159,"identity":"316fd6ec-1a8b-4d51-9139-8fa75f4e501e","order_by":0,"name":"Julia E. 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