Ground survey of active Central American volcanoes in November - December 1973

The author has identified the following significant results. Thermal anomalies at two volcanoes, Santiaguito and Izalco, have grown in size in the past six months, based on repeated ground survey. Thermal anomalies at Pacaya volcano have became less intense in the same period. Large (500 m diameter) thermal anomalies exist at 3 volcanoes presently, and smaller scale anomalies are found at nine other volcanoes

An investigation of thermal anomalies in the Central American volcanic chain and evaluation of the utility of thermal anomaly monitoring in the prediction of volcanic eruptions

The author has identified the following significant results. Ground truth data collection proves that significant anomalies exist at 13 volcanoes within the test site of Central America. The dimensions and temperature contrast of these ten anomalies are large enough to be detected by the Skylab 192 instrument. The dimensions and intensity of thermal anomalies have changed at most of these volcanoes during the Skylab mission

Volcanic activity and satellite-detected thermal anomalies at Central American volcanoes

The author has identified the following significant results. A large nuee ardente eruption occurred at Santiaguito volcano, within the test area on 16 September 1973. Through a system of local observers, the eruption has been described, reported to the international scientific community, extent of affected area mapped, and the new ash sampled. A more extensive report on this event will be prepared. The eruption is an excellent example of the kind of volcanic situation in which satellite thermal imagery might be useful. The Santiaguito dome is a complex mass with a whole series of historically active vents. It's location makes access difficult, yet its activity is of great concern to large agricultural populations who live downslope. Santiaguito has produced a number of large eruptions with little apparent warning. In the earlier ground survey large thermal anomalies were identified at Santiaguito. There is no way of knowing whether satellite monitoring could have detected changes in thermal anomaly patterns related to this recent event, but the position of thermal anomalies on Santiaguito and any changes in their character would be relevant information

The 1966 eruption of Izalco Volcano, El Salvador

During October–November 1966 900,000 m3 of olivine basalt flowed from the flank of Izalco volcano, El Salvador. The total heat energy was approximately 1015 calories. No measurable changes in gravity occurred at stations on the active cone between August 1964 and August 1967. In the summit crater fumaroles have surface temperatures as high as 540°C. The cooling rate of these fumaroles was 18°C/yr before the eruption and 45°C/yr after. Yearly temperature cycles due to wet and dry seasons are superimposed on the general cooling trend. The rate of gas emission at four fumaroles in November 1967 was 86 g/sec. The data from fumaroles and the volume of the flank eruption indicate that the volume of the high-level magma storage beneath the crater was 3.8×106 metric tons before the eruption and 1.4×106 metric tons after. Four of the larger hot fumaroles contribute at least 10% of the heat loss from the high-level magma storage, whereas heat conduction accounts for more than half the total loss

Skylab imagery of Central American volcanoes

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Direct rate measurements of eruption plumes at Augustine volcano: A problem of scaling and uncontrolled variables

The March–April 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska, provided an opportunity to directly measure the flux of gas, aerosol, and ash particles during explosive eruption. Most previous direct measurements of volcanic emission rates are on plumes from fuming volcanoes or on very small eruption clouds. Direct measurements during explosive activity are needed to understand the scale relationships between passive degassing or small eruption plumes and highly explosive events. Conditions on April 3, 1986 were ideal: high winds, clear visibility, moderate activity. Three measurements were made: 1) an airborne correlation spectrometer (Cospec) provided mass flux rates of SO2; 2) treated filter samples chemically characterized the plume and 3) a quartz crystal microcascade impactor provided particle size distribution. Atmospheric conditions on April 3 caused the development of a lee wave plume, which allowed us to constrain a model of plume dispersion leading to a forecast map of concentrations of SO2 at greater distances from the vent. On April 3, 1986, the emission rate of SO2 at Augustine was 24,000 t/d, one of the largest direct volcanic rate measurements yet recorded with a Cospec. The results, coupled with analytical results from samples simultaneously collected on filters, allow us to estimate HCl emissions at 10,000 t/d and ash eruption rate at 1.5×106 t/d. Based on other data, this ash eruption rate is about 1/50 of the maximum rate during the March–April activity. Filter samples show that the gas:aerosol proportions for sulfur and chlorine are about 10:1 and 4:1, respectively. By contrast, measurements of Augustine\u27s plume, together with ground-based gas sampling in July 1986 when the volcano was in a posteruptive fuming state, are 380 t/d SO2 and approximately 8000 t/d HCl with no ash emission. The observations of large Cl releases at Augustine support the Cl abundance conclusions of Johnston (1980) based on study of melt inclusions in the 1976 lavas. The results reinforce the need for more measurements during eruptions and for better understanding of scaling of volcanic emissions of various eruptive components

Monitoring SO2 emission at the Soufriere Hills Volcano: implications for changes in erruptive conditions

FLWINinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Research on atmospheric volcanic emissions: An overview

The project Research on Atmospheric Volcanic Emissions is a unique effort by NASA and university scientists to investigate the detailed chemical nature of plumes from volcanic eruptions. The major goals of the project are to: 1) understand the impact major eruptions will have on atmospheric chemistry processes, 2) understand the importance of volcanic emissions in the atmospheric geochemical cycles of selected species, 3) use knowledge of the plume chemical composition to diagnose and predict magmatic processes. Project RAVE\u27S first mission used the NASA Lockheed Orion P-3 outfitted with equipment to measure concentrations of the gases SO2, OCS, H2S, CS2, NO, O3and trace elements in particles in Mt. St. Helens\u27 plume on September 22, 1980. Measurements of SO2 column densities in the plume permitted calculations of SO2 fluxes. This article is an overview of the first experimental design factors and performance of the initial RAVE experiment

Atmospheric implications of studies of Central American volcanic eruption clouds

During February 1978 a group of scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, several colleges and universities, the U.S. Geological Survey, and NASA used a specially equipped Beech Queen Air aircraft to make 11 sampling flights in Guatemala through the eruption clouds from the volcanoes Pacaya, Fuego, and Santiguito. Measurements were made of SO42−, SO2, HCl, HF, and 11 cations that were in water-soluble form, on samples collected by a specially designed filter pack. Particle size distributions were obtained with a piezoelectric cascade impactor, and the particles were identified by energy dispersive X ray analysis. Evacuated canisters were flown to obtain samples for gas Chromatographic analysis. Some of the conclusions reached are that since most of the sulfur was found to be in the form of SO2, the H2SO4 droplets resulting from major explosive eruptions must largely result from the reaction of SO2 with OH, at the same time depleting the atmosphere of OH; the volume concentration ratio [SO2]/[HCl] always somewhat exceeded unity; and the amount of fine ash remaining in the stratosphere for long periods of time may depend on the crystallinity of the magma. Correlation spectrometry showed that each volcano was emitting 300–1500 metric tons of SO2 per day

Explosion dynamics of pyroclastic eruptions at Santiaguito Volcano

In Jan. 2003 we monitored explosions at Santiaguito Volcano (Guatemala) with thermal, infrasonic, and seismic sensors. Thermal data from 2 infrared thermometers allowed computation of plume rise speeds, which ranged from 8 to 20 m/s. Rise rates correlated with cumulative thermal radiance, indicating that faster rising plumes correspond to explosions with greater thermal flux. The relationship between rise speeds and elastic energy is less clear. Seismic radiation may not scale well with thermal output and/or rise speed because some of the thermal component may be associated with passive degassing, which does not induce significant seismicity. But non-impulsive gas release is still able to produce a high thermal flux, which is the primary control on buoyant rise speed