Preliminary investigation into temporal variation of volcanic ash adherent water-soluble components at Stromboli volcano during 2004-2009 eruptive activity

A change in the chemical compositions of volcanic gases is one of the noticeable phenomena that frequently occurs prior to an eruption. Tephra in plumes can absorb and thereby rapidly deposit volatiles including sulphur, halogen and metal species. These may then be leached (e.g. by rainfall), potentially releasing heavy loads into soils and water bodies. Their analysis is a suitable supplement for remote monitoring of volcanic gases from inaccessible volcanoes. Freshly fallen ashes of the eruptive activity from 2004 to 2009 at Stromboli volcano were sampled, leached and analysed for major and trace elements. This study is aimed at determining the causes of the compositional variations of th…