Rates of carbon dioxide plume degassing from Mount Etna volcano,

We report here on the real-time measurement of CO2 and SO2 concentrations in the near-vent volcanic gas plume of Mount Etna, acquired by the use of a field portable gas analyzer during a series of periodic field surveys on the volcano's summit. During the investigated period (September 2004 to September 2005), the plume CO2/SO2 ratio ranged from 1.9 to 10.8, with contrasting composition for Northeast and Voragine crater plumes. Scaling the above CO2/SO2 ratios by UV spectroscopy determined SO2 emission rates, we estimate CO2 emission rates from the volcano in the range 0.9-67.5 kt d-1 (average, 9 kt d-1). About 2 kt of CO2 were emitted daily on average during quiescent passive degassing, wh…

First observational evidence for the CO<sub>2</sub>-driven origin of Stromboli's major explosions

Abstract. We report on the first detection of CO2 flux precursors of the till now unforecastable "major" explosions that intermittently occur at Stromboli volcano (Italy). An automated survey of the crater plume emissions in the period 2006–2010, during which 12 such explosions happened, demonstrated that these events are systematically preceded by a brief phase of increasing CO2/SO2 weight ratio (up to >40) and CO2 flux (>1300 t d−1) with respect to the time-averaged values of 3.7 and ~500 t d−1 typical for standard Stromboli's activity. These signals are best explained by the accumulation of CO2-rich gas at a discontinuity of the plumbing system (decreasing CO2 emission at the surfa…

Turmoil at Turrialba volcano (Costa Rica): Degassing and eruptive behavior inferred from high-frequency gas monitoring

Eruptive activity at Turrialba volcano (Costa Rica) has escalated significantly since 2014, causing airport and school closures in the capital city of San José. Whether or not new magma is involved in the current unrest seems probable but remains a matter of debate as ash deposits are dominated by hydrothermal material. Here, we use high frequency gas monitoring to track the behavior of the volcano between 2014 and 2015, and to decipher magmatic vs. hydrothermal contributions to the eruptions. Pulses of deeply-derived CO2-rich gas (CO2/Stotal > 4.5) precede explosive activity, providing a clear precursor to eruptive periods that occurs up to two weeks before eruptions, which are accompanied…

Emission of bromine and iodine from Mount Etna volcano

[1] 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 flu…

A model of degassing for Stromboli volcano

International audience; A better understanding of degassing processes at open-vent basaltic volcanoes requires collection of new datasets of H2O–CO2–SO2 volcanic gas plume compositions, which acquisition has long been hampered by technical limitations. Here, we use the MultiGAS technique to provide the best-documented record of gas plume discharges from Stromboli volcano to date. We show that Stromboli's gases are dominated by H2O (48–98 mol%; mean, 80%), and by CO2 (2–50 mol%; mean, 17%) and SO2 (0.2–14 mol%; mean, 3%). The significant temporal variability in our dataset reflects the dynamic nature of degassing process during Strombolian activity; which we explore by interpreting our gas m…

Hydrogen in the gas plume of an open-vent volcano, Mount Etna, Italy

[1] We report here on the first hydrogen determinations in the volcanic gas plume of Mount Etna, in Italy, which we obtained during periodic field surveys on the volcano's summit area with an upgraded MultiGAS. Using a specific (EZT3HYT) electrochemical sensor, we resolved H2 concentrations in the plume of 1–3 ppm above ambient (background) atmosphere and derived H2-SO2 and H2-H2O plume molar ratios of 0.002–0.044 (mean 0.013) and 0.0001–0.0042 (mean 0.0018), respectively. Taking the above H2-SO2 ratios in combination with a time-averaged SO2 flux of 1600 Gg yr−1, we evaluate that Etna contributes a time-averaged H2 flux of ∼0.65 Gg yr−1, suggesting that the volcanogenic contribution to the…

The primary volcanic aerosol emission from Mt Etna: Size-resolved particles with SO2 and role in plume reactive halogen chemistry

International audience; Volcanoes are an important source of aerosols to the troposphere. Within minutes after emission, volcanic plume aerosol catalyses conversion of co-emitted HBr, HCl into highly reactive halogens (e.g. BrO, OClO) through chemical cycles that cause substantial ozone depletion in the dispersing downwind plume.This study quantifies the sub-to-supramicron primary volcanic aerosol emission (0.2-5 μm diameter) and its role in this process. An in-situ ground-based study at Mt Etna (Italy) during passive degassing co-deployed an optical particle counter and Multi-Gas SO2 sensors at high time resolution (0.1 Hz) enabling to characterize the aerosol number, size-distribution and…

First volatile inventory for Gorely volcano, Kamchatka

[1] We report here the very first assessment of volatile flux emissions from Gorely, an actively degassing volcano in Kamchatka. Using a variety of in situ and remote sensing techniques, we determined the bulk plume concentrations of major volatiles (H2O ∼93.5%, CO2, ∼2.6%, SO2 ∼2.2%, HCl 1.1%, HF 0.3%, H20.2%) and trace-halogens (Br, I), therefore estimating a total gas release of ∼11,000 tons·day−1during September 2011, at which time the target was non-eruptively degassing at ∼900°C. Gorely is a typical arc emitter, contributing 0.3% and 1.6% of the total global fluxes from arc volcanism for CO2 and HCl, respectively. We show that Gorely's volcanic gas (H2O/SO2 ∼43, CO2/SO2 ∼1.2, HCl/SO2∼…

Unusually large magmatic CO2gas emissions prior to a basaltic paroxysm

[1] The low-intensity activity of basaltic volcanoes is occasionally interrupted by short-lived but energetic explosions which, whilst frequently observed, are amongst the most enigmatic volcanic events in Nature. The combination of poorly understood and deep, challenging to measure, source processes make such events currently impossible to forecast. Here we report increases in quiescent degassing CO2 emissions (>10,000 t/day) prior to a powerful explosive event on Stromboli volcano on 15 March 2007. We interpret such large CO2 flux as being sourced by passive gas leakage from a deeply (>4 km) stored magma, whose depressurization, possibly caused by the onset of an effusive eruption on 28 F…

Turmoil at Turrialba Volcano (Costa Rica): Degassing and eruptive processes inferred from high-frequency gas monitoring

Eruptive activity at Turrialba Volcano (Costa Rica) has escalated significantly since 2014, causing airport and school closures in the capital city of San Jose. Whether or not new magma is involved in the current unrest seems probable but remains a matter of debate as ash deposits are dominated by hydrothermal material. Here we use high-frequency gas monitoring to track the behavior of the volcano between 2014 and 2015 and to decipher magmatic versus hydrothermal contributions to the eruptions. Pulses of deeply derived CO2-rich gas (CO2/S-total>4.5) precede explosive activity, providing a clear precursor to eruptive periods that occurs up to 2weeks before eruptions, which are accompanied by…

In-situ characterisation of aerosol and gases (SO 2 , HCl, ozone) in Mt Etna volcano plume

International audience; We present findings from a measurement campaign that deployed a range of in-situ real-time atmospheric measurement techniques to characterise aerosols and gases in Mt Etna plume in October 2013. The LOAC (Light Optical Aerosol Counter) instrument for size-resolved particle measurements was deployed alongside two Multi-Gas instruments (measuring SO 2 , H2S, HCl, CO 2) and an ozone sensor. Measurements were performed at the summit craters (in cloudy-and non-cloudy conditions) and in grounding downwind plume on the volcano flank. These high frequency measurements (acid gases: 1 to 0.1 Hz, aerosol: 0.1 Hz) provide a detailed in-situ dataset for time-resolved plume charac…

The 2007 eruption of Stromboli volcano: Insights from real-time measurement of the volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratio

Abstract The recent eruption of Stromboli in February–April 2007 offered a unique chance to test our current understanding of processes driving the transition from ordinary (persistent Strombolian) to effusive activity, and the ability of instrumental geophysical and geochemical networks to interpret and predict these events. Here, we report on the results of two years of in-situ sensing of the CO 2 /SO 2 ratio in Stromboli's volcanic gas plume, in the attempt to put constraints on the trigger mechanisms and dynamics of the eruption. We show that large variations of the plume CO 2 /SO 2 ratio (range, 0.9–26) preceded the onset of the eruption (since December 2007), interrupting a period of …

Forecasting Etna eruptions by real-time observation of volcanic gas composition

It is generally accepted, but not experimentally proven, that a quantitative prediction of volcanic eruptions is possible from the evaluation of volcanic gas data. By discussing the results of two years of real-time observation of H2O, CO2, and SO2 in volcanic gases from Mount Etna volcano, we unambiguously demonstrate that increasing CO2/SO2 ratios can allow detection of the pre-eruptive degassing of rising magmas. Quantitative modeling by the use of a saturation model allows us to relate the pre-eruptive increases of the CO2/SO2 ratio to the refilling of Etna's shallow conduits with CO2-rich deep-reservoir magmas, leading to pressurization and triggering of eruption. The advent of real-ti…

Variation of H2O/CO2and CO2/SO2ratios of volcanic gases discharged by continuous degassing of Mount Etna volcano, Italy

[1] We applied the Multi-GAS technique to measure compositions of the volcanic plumes continuously discharged from summit craters of Voragine, Northeast and Bocca Nuova at Mount Etna, in an attempt to estimate compositions of the source volcanic gases. The estimated CO2/SO2 and H2O/CO2 ratios of the volcanic gases show a large variation ranging from 0.6 to 30 and from 1 to 18, respectively. This variability overlaps with the compositional range of dissolved volatiles in melt inclusions and their coexisting bubbles in a magma chamber and can be caused by the low-pressure degassing of a magma with variable bubble content ranging from 0.3 to 15 wt.%. The variable bubble content in the magma is…

Petrological and noble gas features of Lascar and Lastarria volcanoes (Chile): Inferences on plumbing systems and mantle characteristics

Lascar (5592 m a.s.l.) and Lastarria (5697 m a.s.l.) are Chilean active stratovolcanoes located in the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ; 16°S to 28°S) that have developed on top of a 71 km thick continental crust. Independently of the similarities in their Plinian/Vulcanian eruptive styles, their complex magmatic feeding structures and the origins of their magmatic fluids still necessitate constraints in order to improve the reliability of geochemical monitoring. Here we investigate the petrography, bulk-rock chemistry, and mineral chemistry in products from the 1986–1993 explosive eruptive cycle at Lascar and from several Holocene eruptive sequences at Lastarria. These data are integrated with m…

Multicopter measurements of volcanic gas emissions at Masaya (Nicaragua), Turrialba (Costa Rica) and Stromboli (Italy) volcanoes: Applications for volcano monitoring and insights into halogen speciation

Abstract. Volcanoes are a natural source of several reactive gases (e.g. sulfur and halogen containing species), as well as non-reactive gases (e.g. carbon dioxide). Besides that, halogen chemistry in volcanic plumes might have important impacts on atmospheric chemistry, carbon to sulfur ratios and sulfur dioxide fluxes are important established parameters to gain information on subsurface processes. In this study we demonstrate the successful deployment of a multirotor UAV (quadcopter) system with custom-made lightweight payloads on board for the compositional analysis and gas flux estimation of volcanic plumes. The various applications and their potential with such new measurement strateg…

A CO2-gas precursor to the March 2015 Villarrica volcano eruption

We present here the first volcanic gas compositional time-series taken prior to a paroxysmal eruption of Villarrica volcano (Chile). Our gas plume observations were obtained using a fully autonomous Multi-component Gas Analyser System (Multi-GAS) in the 3 month-long phase of escalating volcanic activity that culminated into the 3 March 2015 paroxysm, the largest since 1985. Our results demonstrate a temporal evolution of volcanic plume composition, from low CO$_2$/SO$_2$ ratios (0.65-2.7) during November 2014-January 2015 to CO$_2$/SO$_2$ ratios up to ≈ 9 then after. The H$_2$O/CO$_2$ ratio simultaneously declined to <38 in the same temporal interval. We use results of volatile saturatio…

Total volatile flux from Mount Etna

[1] The Total Volatile (TV) flux from Mount Etna volcano has been characterised for the first time, by summing the simultaneously-evaluated fluxes of the three main volcanogenic volatiles: H2O, CO2 and SO2. SO2 flux was determined by routine DOAS traverse measurements, while H2O and CO2 were evaluated by scaling MultiGAS-sensed H2O/SO2 and CO2/SO2 plume ratios to the UV-sensed SO2 flux. The time-averaged TV flux from Etna is evaluated at ∼21,000 t·day−1, with a large fraction accounted for by H2O (∼13,000 t·day−1). H2O dominates (≥70%) the volatile budget during syn-eruptive degassing, while CO2 and H2O contribute equally to the TV flux during passive degassing. The CO2 flux was observed to…

Validation of a novel Multi-Gas sensor for volcanic HCl alongside H2S and SO2 at Mt. Etna

Erratum to: Bull Volcanol (2017) 79: 36DOI 10.1007/s00445-017-1114-zDuring the steps of corrections, the publisher inadvertently changed the author affiliations so that they were no longer correct. The correct information is given below. The publisher regrets this mistake.; International audience; Volcanic gas emission measurements inform predictions of hazard and atmospheric impacts. For these measurements, Multi-Gas sensors provide low-cost in situ monitoring of gas composition but to date have lacked the ability to detect halogens. Here, two Multi-Gas instruments characterized passive outgassing emissions from Mt. Etna’s (Italy) three summit craters, Voragine (VOR), North-east Crater (NE…

Dukono, the predominant source of volcanic degassing in Indonesia, sustained by a depleted Indian-MORB

Co-auteur étranger; International audience; Located on Halmahera island, Dukono is among the least known volcanoes in Indonesia. A compilation of the rare available reports indicates that this remote and hardly accessible volcano has been regularly in eruption since 1933, and has undergone nearly continuous eruptive manifestation over the last decade. The first study of its gas emissions, presented in this work, highlights a huge magmatic volatile contribution into the atmosphere, with an estimated annual output of about 290 kt of SO2, 5000 kt of H2O, 88 kt of CO2, 5 kt of H2S and 7 kt of H2. Assuming these figures are representative of the long-term continuous eruptive activity, then Dukon…

Short-period volcanic gas precursors to phreatic eruptions: Insights from Poás Volcano, Costa Rica

Texto completo del documento Volcanic eruptions involving interaction with water are amongst the most violent and unpredictable geologic phenomena on Earth. Phreatic eruptions are exceptionally difficult to forecast by traditional geophysical techniques. Here we report on short-term precursory variations in gas emissions related to phreatic blasts at Poás volcano, Costa Rica, as measured with an in situ multiple gas analyzer that was deployed at the edge of the erupting lake. Gas emitted from this hyper-acid crater lake approaches magmatic values of SO2/CO21–6 days prior to eruption. The SO2flux derived from magmatic degassing through the lake is measureable by differential optical absorpti…

Terminal Strombolian activity at Etna’s central craters during summer 2012: The most CO<sub>2</sub>-rich volcanic gas ever recorded at Mount Etna

Volcanic Gas Emissions Along the Colombian Arc Segment of the Northern Volcanic Zone (CAS-NVZ): Implications for volcano monitoring and volatile budget of the Andean Volcanic Belt

Studying spatial and temporal trends in volcanic gas compositions and fluxes is crucial both to volcano monitoring and to constrain the origin and recycling efficiency of volatiles at active convergent margins. New volcanic gas compositions and volatile fluxes are here reported for Nevado del Ruiz, Galeras, and Purace, three of the most persistently degassing volcanoes located in the Colombian Arc Segment of the Northern Volcanic Zone. At Nevado del Ruiz, from 2014 to 2017, plume emissions showed an average molar CO2/S-T ratio of 3.9 +/- 1.6 (S-T is total sulfur, S). Contemporary, fumarolic chemistry at Galeras progressively shifted toward low-temperature, S-depleted fumarolic gas discharge…

Tracking Formation of a Lava Lake From Ground and Space: Masaya Volcano (Nicaragua), 2014-2017

A vigorously degassing lava lake appeared inside the Santiago pit crater of Masaya volcano (Nicaragua) in December 2015, after years of degassing with no (or minor) incandescence. Here we present an unprecedented-long (3 years) and continuous volcanic gas record that instrumentally characterizes the (re)activation of the lava lake. Our results show that, before appearance of the lake, the volcanic gas plume composition became unusually CO 2 rich, as testified by high CO 2 /SO 2 ratios (mean: 12.2 ± 6.3) and low H 2 O/CO 2 ratios (mean: 2.3 ± 1.3). The volcanic CO 2 flux also peaked in November 2015 (mean: 81.3 ± 40.6 kg/s; maximum: 247 kg/s). Using results of magma degassing models and budg…

New insights into the magmatic-hydrothermal system and volatile budget of Lastarria volcano, Chile: Integrated results from the 2014 IAVCEI CCVG 12th Volcanic Gas Workshop

Recent geophysical evidence for large-scale regional crustal inflation and localized crustal magma intrusion has made Lastarria volcano (northern Chile) the target of numerous geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies. The chemical composition of volcanic gases sampled during discrete campaigns from Lastarria volcano indicated a well-developed hydrothermal system from direct fumarole samples in A.D. 2006, 2008, and 2009, and shallow magma degassing using measurements from in situ plume sampling techniques in 2012. It is unclear if the differences in measured gas compositions and resulting interpretations were due to artifacts of the different sampling methods employed, short-term exc…

Patterns in the recent 2007-2008 activity of Mount Etna volcano investigated by integrated geophysical and geochemical observations

[1] Seismic, deformation, and volcanic gas observations offer independent and complementary information on the activity state and dynamics of quiescent and eruptive volcanoes and thus all contribute to volcanic risk assessment. In spite of their wide use, there have been only a few efforts to systematically integrate and compare the results of these different monitoring techniques. Here we combine seismic (volcanic tremor and long-period seismicity), deformation (GPS), and geochemical (volcanic gas plume CO2/SO2 ratios) measurements in an attempt to interpret trends in the recent (2007–2008) activity of Etna volcano. We show that each eruptive episode occurring at the Southeast Crater (SEC)…

New advances in dial-lidar-based remote sensing of the volcanic CO2 flux

We report here on the results of a proof-of-concept study aimed at remotely sensing the volcanic CO2 flux using a Differential Adsorption lidar (DIAL-lidar). The observations we report on were conducted on June 2014 on Stromboli volcano, where our lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) was used to scan the volcanic plume from ~ 3 km distance from the summit vents. The obtained results prove that a remotely operating lidar can resolve a volcanic CO2 signal of a few tens of ppm (in excess to background air) over km-long optical paths. We combine these results with independent estimates of plume transport speed (from processing of UV Camera images) to derive volcanic CO2 flux time-series of ≈16-3…