Search results for "volcanic gases"
showing 10 items of 76 documents
Variation of H2O/CO2and CO2/SO2ratios of volcanic gases discharged by continuous degassing of Mount Etna volcano, Italy
2008
[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…
Early detection of volcanic hazard by lidar measurement of carbon dioxide
2016
Volcanic gases give information on magmatic processes. In particular, anomalous releases of carbon dioxide precede volcanic eruptions. Up to now, this gas has been measured in volcanic plumes with conventional measurements that imply the severe risks of local sampling and can last many hours. For these reasons and for the great advantages of laser sensing, the thorough development of volcanic lidars has been undertaken at ENEA (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development). In fact, lidar profiling allows one to scan remotely volcanic plumes in a fast and continuous way, and with high spatial and temporal resolution. A differential absorption lid…
Magmatic gas leakage at Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy): Relationships with the volcano-tectonic structures, the hydrological pattern and the eruptive act…
2004
In this paper we provide a review of chemical and isotopic data gathered over the last three decades on Etna volcano's fluid emissions and we present a synthetic framework of their spatial and temporal relationships with the volcano-tectonic structures, groundwater circulation and eruptive activity. We show that the chemistry, intensity and spatial distribution of gas exhalations are strongly controlled by the main volcano-tectonic fault systems. The emission of mantle-derived magmatic volatiles, supplied by deep to shallow degassing of alkali-hawaiitic basalts, persistently occurs through the central conduits, producing a huge volcanic plume. The magmatic derivation of the hot gases is ver…
Volcanic CO2 tracks the incubation period of basaltic paroxysms
2021
Description
Gas measurements from the Costa Rica–Nicaragua volcanic segment suggest possible along-arc variations in volcanic gas chemistry
2014
Obtaining accurate estimates of the CO2 output from arc volcanism requires a precise understanding of the potential along-arc variations in volcanic gas chemistry, and ultimately of the magmatic gas signature of each individual arc segment. In an attempt to more fully constrain the magmatic gas signature of the Central America Volcanic Arc (CAVA), we present here the results of a volcanic gas survey performed during March and April 2013 at five degassing volcanoes within the Costa Rica-Nicaragua volcanic segment (CNVS). Observations of the volcanic gas plume made with a multicomponent gas analyzer system (Multi-GAS) have allowed characterization of the CO2/SO2-ratio signature of the plumes …
Insights Into the Mechanisms of Phreatic Eruptions From Continuous High Frequency Volcanic Gas Monitoring: Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, Costa Rica
2019
OVSICORI Understanding the trigger mechanisms of phreatic eruptions is key to mitigating the effects of these hazardous but poorly forecastable volcanic events. It has recently been established that high-rate volcanic gas observations are potentially very suitable to identifying the source processes driving phreatic eruptions, and to eventually detecting precursory changes prior to individual phreatic blasts. In February-May 2017, we deployed a Multi-GAS instrument to continuously monitor gas concentrations in the crater lake plume of Rincón de la Vieja, a remote and poorly monitored active volcano in Costa Rica, site of frequent phreatic/phreatomagmatic eruptions. Forty-two phreatic/phreat…
Helium isotope systematics of volcanic gases and thermal waters of Guadeloupe Island, Lesser Antilles
2014
Abstract The island of Guadeloupe is located in the middle of the 850 km long Lesser Antilles island arc. Present-day volcanic and geothermal activity is concentrated in two systems both located in the southwestern part of the island (Basse Terre): the La Soufriere volcanic complex and the Bouillante hydrothermal system, some 20 km to the northwest of the volcano. We report here the largest isotopic data set for helium isotopes in hydrothermal gases and waters from both systems, acquired between 1980 and 2012. 3 He/ 4 He ratios in the fumarolic gases of La Soufriere volcano have been quite homogeneous and stable over the last thirty years. The average ratio of 8.2 ± 0.2 R a confirms that th…
Volcanogenic fluorine in rainwater around active degassing volcanoes: Mt. Etna and Stromboli Island, Italy
2002
Many studies have assessed the strong influence of volcanic activity on the surrounding environment. This is particularly true for strong gas emitters such as Mt. Etna and Stromboli volcanoes. Among volcanic gases, fluorine compounds are potentially very harmful. Fluorine cycling through rainwater in the above volcanic areas was studied analysing more than 400 monthly bulk samples. Data indicate that only approximately 1% of fluorine emission through the plume is deposited on the two volcanic areas by meteoric precipitations. Although measured bulk rainwater fluorine fluxes are comparable to and sometimes higher than in heavily polluted areas, their influence on the surrounding vegetation i…
Dissolved major and trace elements in meteoric depositions on the flanks of Mt. Etna (Italy): the impact of volcanic activity on the environment
2019
In the framework of the “Save the Etna World” research project, which investigates the impact of the volcanic activity on the surrounding environment, three bulk collectors were deployed on the flank of the Mt. Etna volcano to collect the meteoric depositions. The sampling sites were at distances between 5.5 and 13 km from the summit vents of the volcano on its eastern flank, that is the most exposed to the volcanic plume due to the high-altitude prevailing winds direction. The sites were selected in order to have a gradient of exposition with respect to the volcanic emissions, the most exposed being CIT, the intermediate ILI and the least NIC. Samples were collected monthly from July 2017 …
Turmoil at Turrialba Volcano (Costa Rica): Degassing and eruptive processes inferred from high-frequency gas monitoring.
2016
Abstract 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 versus 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 2 weeks before eruptions, which are acc…