Search results for "volcanic gase"
showing 10 items of 79 documents
Chemical mapping of a fumarolic field: La Fossa Crater, Vulcano Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy)
2005
[1] The performance of a newly-developed portable gas analyzer, capable of real-time measurement of CO2, SO2 and H2S concentrations in volcanic gases, was tested at La Fossa Crater, Vulcano Island. The gas analyzer was used to acquire about 3000 determinations over the fumarolic field, allowing the definition of its chemical structure and heterogeneity. Our high-resolution analysis reveals that, in December 2004, the La Fossa fumarolic field was characterized by an oxidized inner core (SO2/H2S ratios of ∼3), and by more reducing conditions on its northern edge (SO2/H2S ratios of ∼1; range: 0.2–3.3). CO2/(SO2+H2S) molar ratios averaged 35 ± 21, with overlapping compositions for rim and inner…
Mantle-derived fluids discharged at the Bradanic foredeep/Apulian foreland boundary: The Maschito geothermal gas emissions (southern Italy)
2014
Abstract The mephitis of Maschito, known since historical times as Lago Fetente (Smelly Lake) -although the lake is now dry-, is located 20 km from the Mt. Vulture volcanic edifice (Southern Italy). It is placed along the same regional tectonic discontinuity where some maars are located, close to the boundary between the foredeep and the Apulian foreland. About 300 m2 of surface is lacking in flora, while dead animals are frequently found all around it. The smelly exhalations are mainly composed of CO2 (∼98%), and, in lesser amounts, of H2S, N2, CH4 and other hydrocarbons. He, Ne and Ar occur in trace amounts. The CO2 isotopic composition is in the range of that of the main active Italian v…
Recent advances in ground-based ultraviolet remote sensing of volcanic SO2 fluxes
2011
Measurements of volcanic SO2 emission rates have been the mainstay of remote-sensing volcanic gas geochemistry for almost four decades, and they have contributed significantly to our understanding of volcanic systems and their impact upon the atmosphere. The last ten years have brought step-change improvements in the instrumentation applied to these observations, which began with the application of miniature ultraviolet spectrometers that were deployed in scanning and traverse configurations, with differential optical absorption spectroscopy evaluation routines. This study catalogs the more recent empirical developments, including: ultraviolet cameras; wide-angle field-of-view differential …
Unmanned aerial vehicle measurements of volcanic carbon dioxide fluxes
2008
[i] We report the first measurements of volcanic gases with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The data were collected at La Fossa crater, Vulcano, Italy, during April 2007, with a helicopter UAV of 3 kg payload, carrying an ultraviolet spectrometer for remotely sensing the SO 2 flux (8.5 Mg d- 1 ), and an infrared spectrometer, and electrochemical sensor assembly for measuring the plume CO 2 /SO 2 ratio; by multiplying these data we compute a CO 2 flux of 170 Mg d -1 . Given the deeper exsolution of carbon dioxide from magma, and its lower solubility in hydro-thermal systems, relative to SO 2 , the ability to remotely measure CO 2 fluxes is significant, with promise to provide more profound…
Gas hazard assessment at the Monticchio crater lakes of Mt. Vulture, a volcano in Southern Italy
2009
Geochemical investigations have shown that there is a considerable inflow of gas into both crater lakes of Monticchio, Southern Italy. These lakes are located in two maars that formed 140 000 years ago during Mt. Vulture volcanos last eruptive activity. Isotopic analyses suggest that CO2 and helium are of magmatic origin; the latter displays 3 He ⁄ 4 He isotope ratios similar to those measured in olivines of the maar ejecta. In spite of the fact that the amount of dissolved gases in the water is less than that found in Lake Nyos (Cameroon), both the results obtained and the historical reports studied indicate that these crater lakes could be highly hazardous sites, even though they are loca…
First multi-GAS based characterisation of the Boiling Lake volcanic gas (Dominica, Lesser Antilles)
2013
We used a Multi-component Gas Analyser System (Multi-GAS) to measure, for the very first time, the composition (H2O, CO2, H2S, SO2) of the volcanic gas plume issuing from the Boiling Lake, a vigorously degassing, hot (T ~ 80-90°C) volcanic lake in Dominica, West Indies. The Multi-GAS captured in-plume concentrations of H2O, CO2 and H2S were well above those typical of ambient atmosphere, while no volcanic SO2 was detected (<0.05 ppm). These were used to derive the Boiling Lake plume characteristic ratios of CO2/H2S (5.2±0.4) and H2O/CO2 (31.4±6). Assuming that other volcanic gas species (e.g., HCl, CO, H2, N2, etc.) are absent in the plume, we recalculated a (air-free) composition fo…
. New ground-based lidar enables volcanic CO2 flux measurements
2015
AbstractThere have been substantial advances in the ability to monitor the activity of hazardous volcanoes in recent decades. However, obtaining early warning of eruptions remains challenging, because the patterns and consequences of volcanic unrests are both complex and nonlinear. Measuring volcanic gases has long been a key aspect of volcano monitoring since these mobile fluids should reach the surface long before the magma. There has been considerable progress in methods for remote and in-situ gas sensing, but measuring the flux of volcanic CO2—the most reliable gas precursor to an eruption—has remained a challenge. Here we report on the first direct quantitative measurements of the volc…
BVLOS UAS Operations in Highly-Turbulent Volcanic Plumes.
2020
Long-range, high-altitude Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS) operations now enable in-situ measurements of volcanic gas chemistry at globally-significant active volcanoes. However, the extreme environments encountered within volcanic plumes present significant challenges for both air frame development and in-flight control. As part of a multi-disciplinary field deployment in May 2019, we flew fixed wing UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) over Manam volcano, Papua New Guinea, to measure real-time gas concentrations within the volcanic plume. By integrating aerial gas measurements with ground- and satellite-based sensors, our aim was to collect data that would constrain the emission rate of …
The emissions of CO2 and other volatiles from the world’s subaerial volcanoes
2019
AbstractVolcanoes are the main pathway to the surface for volatiles that are stored within the Earth. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is of particular interest because of its potential for climate forcing. Understanding the balance of CO2 that is transferred from the Earth’s surface to the Earth’s interior, hinges on accurate quantification of the long-term emissions of volcanic CO2 to the atmosphere. Here we present an updated evaluation of the world’s volcanic CO2 emissions that takes advantage of recent improvements in satellite-based monitoring of sulfur dioxide, the establishment of ground-based networks for semi-continuous CO2-SO2 gas sensing and a new approach to estimate key volcanic gas param…
Anomalous magmatic degassing prior to the 5th April 2003 paroxysm on Stromboli
2004
[1] A major explosion occurred at Stromboli on April 5 2003, being the most powerful event over a period of exceptional eruptive activity lasting from December to July. Here, we describe results from a network of diffusive tubes set up on the Stromboli's summit area, aimed at a characterisation of plume composition (SO2, HCl, HF) prior to and after April 5. Data analysis revealed anomalous sulphur degassing 2–3 days before the event, when SO2/HCl ratios (≈9) significantly higher than those typical of quiescent degassing (≈1) were recorded. We interpret this exceptional plume signature as an evidence of S-rich magmas ascending in the shallow plumbing system, and propose high SO2/HCl as a pot…