A golden era for volcanic gas geochemistry?

Kern, Christoph; Aiuppa, Alessandro; Moor, J. Maarten de

doi:10.1007/s00445-022-01556-6

Cited by 14 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 118 publications

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“…Finally, this study adds to the growing body of research demonstrating that important, actionable information on volcanic activity and processes can be obtained from continuous gas measurements and emphasizes the value of establishing and maintaining continuous gas monitoring at more active volcanoes worldwide (Aiuppa et al, 2007;Werner et al, 2013;de Moor et al, 2016;Kern et al, 2017Kern et al, , 2022Stix and de Moor, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates

Kunrat¹,

Kern

Alfianti³

et al. 2022

Front. Earth Sci.

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Dome-building volcanic eruptions are often associated with frequent Vulcanian explosions, which constitute a substantial threat to proximal communities. One proposed mechanism driving such explosions is the sealing of the shallow volcanic system followed by pressurization due to gas accumulation beneath the seal. We investigate this hypothesis at Sinabung Volcano (Sumatra, Indonesia), which has been in a state of eruption since August 2010. In 2013, the volcano began erupting a lava dome and lava flow, and frequent explosions produced eruptive columns that rose many kilometers into the atmosphere and at times sent pyroclastic density currents down the southeast flanks. A network of scanning Differential Optical Absorption Spectrometers (DOAS) was installed on the volcano’s eastern flank in 2016 to continuously monitor SO2 emission rates during daytime hours. Analysis of the DOAS data from October 2016 to September 2017 revealed that passive SO2 emissions were generally lower in the 5 days leading up to explosive events (∼100 t/d) than was common in 5-day periods leading up to days on which no explosions occurred (∼200 t/d). The variability of passive SO2 emissions, expressed as the standard deviation, also took on a slightly wider range of values before days with explosions (0–103 t/d at 1-sigma) than before days without explosions (43–117 t/d). These observations are consistent with the aforementioned seal-failure model, where the sealing of the volcanic conduit blocks gas emissions and leads to pressurization and potential Vulcanian explosions. We develop a forecasting methodology that allows calculation of a relative daily explosion probability based solely on measurements of the SO2 emission rate in the preceding days. We then calculate forecast explosion probabilities for the remaining SO2 emissions dataset (October 2017—September 2021). While the absolute accuracy of forecast explosion probabilities is variable, the method can inform the probability of an explosion occurring relative to that on other days in each test period. This information can be used operationally by volcano observatories to assess relative risk. The SO2 emissions-based forecasting method is likely applicable to other open vent volcanoes experiencing dome-forming eruptions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates

Kunrat¹,

Kern

Alfianti³

et al. 2022

Front. Earth Sci.

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“…3 Theoretical proof-of-concept-Remote sensing of HF and HCl in volcanic plumes using skylight Volcanic halogens play significant roles in many volcanic processes and impact the local to regional volcanic environment and Earth's atmosphere (see, e.g., Aiuppa et al, 2009, and references therein). As halogens tend to degas from the magma at rather shallow depth (e.g., Spilliaert et al, 2006), continuous quantification of volcanic halogen emissions (similar to present-day volcanic SO 2 quantification, e.g., Galle et al, 2010;Kern et al, 2022) would substantially contribute to improving models of magma dynamics and degassing and bear a high potential for volcanic monitoring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-spectral-resolution Fabry-Pérot interferometers overcome fundamental limitations of present volcanic gas remote sensing techniques

Kuhn

Bobrowski²,

Boudoire³

et al. 2023

Front. Earth Sci.

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Remote sensing (RS) of volcanic gases has become a central tool for studying volcanic activity. For instance, ultraviolet (UV) skylight spectroscopy with grating spectrographs (GS) enables SO2 (and, under favourable conditions, BrO) quantification in volcanic plumes from autonomous platforms at safe distances. These measurements can serve volcanic monitoring and they cover all stages of volcanic activity in long measurement time series, which substantially contributes to the refinement of theories on volcanic degassing. Infrared (IR) remote sensing techniques are able to measure further volcanic gases (e.g., HF, HCl, CO2, CO). However, the employed Fourier transform spectrometers (FTSs) are intrinsically intricate and, due to limited resolving power or light throughput, mostly rely on either lamps, direct sun, or hot lava as light source, usually limiting measurements to individual field campaigns. We show that many limitations of grating spectrographs and Fourier transform spectrometer measurements can be overcome by Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based spectrograph implementations. Compared to grating spectrographs and Fourier transform spectrometers, Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrographs reach a 1-3 orders of magnitude higher spectral resolution and superior light throughput with compact and stable set-ups. This leads to 1) enhanced sensitivity and selectivity of the spectral trace gas detection, 2) enables the measurement of so far undetected volcanic plume constituents [e.g., hydroxyl (OH) or sulfanyl (SH)], and 3) extends the range of gases that can be measured continuously using the sky as light source. Here, we present measurements with a shoe-box-size Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrograph (resolving power of ca. 150000), performed in the crater of Nyiragongo volcano. By analysing the light of a ultraviolet light emitting diode that is sent through the hot gas emission of an active lava flow, we reach an OH detection limit of about 20 ppb, which is orders of magnitude lower than the mixing ratios predicted by high-temperature chemical models. Furthermore, we introduce example calculations that demonstrate the feasibility of skylight-based remote sensing of HF and HCl in the short-wave infrared with Fabry-Perot interferometer spectrographs, which opens the path to continuous monitoring and data acquisition during all stages of volcanic activity. This is only one among many further potential applications of remote sensing of volcanic gases with high spectral resolution.

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“…This is likely influenced by the cost and complexity of permanent systems. The instrument presented herein has the potential to aid the transition to more continuous geochemical monitoring of hazardous volcanoes across the globe, which in turn stands to improve our understanding of hazardous volcanic events and inform eruption forecasts (Kern et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new permanent, low-cost, low-power SO2 camera for continuous measurement of volcanic emissions

et al. 2023

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Since its introduction to volcanology in the mid-2000 s, the SO2 camera has become an important instrument for the acquisition of accurate and high time-resolution SO2 emission rates, aiding in hazard assessment and volcanological research. However, with the exception of a few locations (Stromboli, Etna, Kīlauea), hitherto the majority of measurements have been made on discrete field campaigns, which provide only brief snapshots into a volcano’s activity. Here, we present the development of a new, low-cost, low-power SO2 camera for permanent deployment on volcanoes, facilitating long-term, quasi-continuous (daylight hours only) measurements. We then discuss preliminary datasets from Lascar and Kīlauea volcanoes, where instruments are now in continuous operation. Further proliferation of such instrumentation has the potential to greatly improve our understanding of the transient nature of volcanic activity, as well as aiding volcano monitoring/eruption forecasting.

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A golden era for volcanic gas geochemistry?

Cited by 14 publications

References 118 publications

Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates

Forecasting explosions at Sinabung Volcano, Indonesia, based on SO2 emission rates

High-spectral-resolution Fabry-Pérot interferometers overcome fundamental limitations of present volcanic gas remote sensing techniques

A new permanent, low-cost, low-power SO2 camera for continuous measurement of volcanic emissions

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