Variation of the BrO/SO2 molar ratio in the plume of Tungurahua volcano between 2007 and 2017 and its relationship to volcanic activity
International audience; Recent long-term observations of the bromine monoxide (BrO) to sulphur dioxide (SO2) molar ratio in volcanic plumes have suggested a link between changes in the BrO/SO2 ratio and the volcanic activity. Nevertheless, understanding of the mechanisms determining this link is still limited due to the lack of studies on volcanic bromine release from the melt into the atmosphere. We present the results of 10 years (2007–2017) of observations of the BrO/SO2 molar ratio in the volcanic plume of Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador. Following the nearly continuous eruptive activity from 1999 to 2008, Tungurahua showed alternating phases of eruptive activity separated by periods of qui…
Modern Multispectral Sensors Help Track Explosive Eruptions
Due to its massive air traffic impact, the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull was felt by millions of people and cost airlines more than U.S. $1.7 billion. The event has, thus, become widely cited in renewed efforts to improve real-time tracking of volcanic plumes, as witnessed by special sections published last year in Journal of Geophysical Research, (117, issues D20 and B9).