Intercomparison of volcanic gas monitoring methodologies performed on Vulcano Island, Italy,

Molecular and isotopic composition of free hydrocarbon gases from Sicily, Italy

Chemical and isotopic data have been used as geochemical tracers for a genetic characterization of hydrocarbon gases from a total of eleven manifestations located in Eastern and Central-Southern Sicily (Italy). The molecular analysis shows that almost all the samples are enriched in methane (up to 93.2% Vol.), with the exception of four gas samples collected around Mt. Etna showing high mantle-derived CO2 content. Methane isotope signatures suggest that these are thermogenic gases or a mixture between thermogenic gases and microbial gases. Although samples from some mud volcanoes in Southern Sicily (Macalube di Aragona) show isotope signatures consistent with a mixing model between thermoge…

CO2 output discharged from Stromboli Island (Italy)

Abstract Total CO 2 output from soil gas and plume, discharged from the Stromboli Island, was estimated. The CO 2 emission of the plume emitted from the active crater was estimated on the basis of the SO 2 crater output and C/S ratio, while CO 2 discharged through diffuse soil emission was quantified on the basis of 419 measurements of CO 2 fluxes from the soil of the whole island, performed by using the accumulation chamber method. The results indicate an overall output of ≅ 416 t day − 1 of CO 2 from the island. The main contribution to the total CO 2 output comes from the summit area (396 t day − 1 ), with 370 t/day from the active crater and 26 t day − 1 from the Pizzo sopra La Fossa so…

H2S fluxes from Mt. Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano (Italy) and implications for the global volcanic sulfur budget

We present here new measurements of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide emissions from Vulcano, Etna, and Stromboli (Italy), made by direct sampling at vents and by filter pack and ultraviolet spectroscopy in downwind plumes. Measurements at the F0 and FA fumaroles on Vulcano yielded SO2/H2S molar ratios of 0.38 and 1.4, respectively, from which we estimate an H2S flux of 6 to 9 t · d 1 for the summit crater. For Mt. Etna and Stromboli, we found SO2/H2S molar ratios of 20 and 15, respectively, which combined with SO2 flux measurements, suggest H2S emission rates of 50 to 113 t · d 1 and 4 to 8 t · d 1, respectively. We observe that “source” and plume SO2/H2S ratios at Vulcano are similar, s…

Emission of bromine and iodine from Mount Etna volcano

Constraining fluxes of volcanic bromine and iodine to the atmosphere is important given the significant role these species play in ozone depletion. However, very few such measurements have been made hitherto, such that global volcanic fluxes are poorly constrained. Here we extend the data set of volcanic Br and I degassing by reporting the first measurements of bromine and iodine emissions from Mount Etna. These data were obtained using filter packs and contemporaneous ultraviolet spectroscopic SO2 flux measurements, resulting in time-averaged emission rates of 0.7 kt yr-1 and 0.01 kt yr-1 for Br and I, respectively, from April to October 2004, from which we estimate global Br and I fluxes …