Ultraviolet Imaging of Volcanic Plumes: A New Paradigm in Volcanology

Abstract

Ultraviolet imaging has been applied in volcanology over the last ten years or so. This provides considerably higher temporal and spatial resolution volcanic gas emission rate data than available previously, enabling the volcanology community to investigate a range of far faster plume degassing processes than achievable hitherto. To date, this has covered rapid oscillations in passive degassing through conduits and lava lakes, as well as puffing and explosions, facilitating exciting connections to be made for the first time between previously rather separate sub-disciplines of volcanology. Firstly, there has been corroboration between geophysical and degassing datasets at ≈1 Hz, expediting more holistic investigations of volcanic source-process behaviour. Secondly, there has been the combination of surface observations of gas release with fluid dynamic models (numerical, mathematical, and laboratory) for gas flow in conduits, in attempts to link subterranean driving flow processes to surface activity types. There has also been considerable research and development concerning the technique itself, covering error analysis and most recently the adaptation of smartphone sensors for this application, to deliver gas fluxes at a significantly lower instrumental price point than possible previously. At this decadal juncture in the application of UV imaging in volcanology, this article provides an overview of what has been achieved to date as well as a forward look to possible future research directions.

Combining Spherical-Cap and Taylor Bubble Fluid Dynamics with Plume Measurements to Characterize Basaltic Degassing

“…This model illustrates the exciting new scientific frontiers expedited by the recent advent of high speed imaging of volcanic gas plumes, such that models for subterranean fluid dynamics can be corroborated with surface degassing observations [61] in far more detail than previously possible with then-available temporally-coarser degassing data. Indeed, this work is one of the very first to exploit this opportunity, following from Pering et al [18,24].…”

Evidence of New Particle Formation Within Etna and Stromboli Volcanic Plumes and Its Parameterization From Airborne In Situ Measurements

“…While a large number of studies have investigated volcanic emissions through in situ ground-based and satellite/radar measurements (Carn et al, 2013;Galle et al, 2010;Kantzas & McGonigle, 2008;Mather, 2015;McCormick et al, 2016;McGonigle et al, 2017;McGonigle & Oppenheimer, 2003), airborne in situ measurements of volcanic emissions remain very scarce (Mauldin et al, 2003;Oppenheimer et al, 2010;Petäjä et al, 2012;Radke, 1982;Rose et al, 2006;Tulet et al, 2017;Vignelles et al, 2016;Weber et al, 2012). The limited number of volcanic plume airborne observations investigating NPF arises from challenges associated with restricted timescales and the impact of temporal and spatial plume's heterogeneities under typically harsh environments, besides the costly deployment of highly sophisticated instrumentation aboard an aircraft in such harsh conditions (Delmelle, 2003;Mauldin et al, 2003;Oppenheimer et al, 2003).…”

Periodicity in Volcanic Gas Plumes: A Review and Analysis

“…Once nucleated, bubbles in magma can grow either by diffusion of volatiles into the bubble, decompression, and coalescence, before either bursting at the magma surface or undergoing explosive fragmentation [3][4][5]. Volcanic gas emissions are predominantly composed of water vapor (H 2 O), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 , or in reduced form, hydrogen sulfide, H 2 S), with SO 2 being the easiest to resolve against background atmospheric concentrations and therefore, generally the target gas used for emissions measurements [6]. Present generally in trace quantities are halogen compounds such as chlorine, fluorine, bromine, and iodine, the latter of which is highly reactive in the atmosphere forming gaseous species such as bromine monoxide (BrO), and iodine monoxide (IO) [7][8][9].…”