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

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The relationship between degassing and ground deformation at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat

We examine the correlations between SO2 emission rate, seismicity and ground deformation in the month prior to the 25 June 1997 dome collapse of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat. During this period, the volcano exhibited a pattern of cyclic inflation and deflation with an 8-14 h period. We find that SO2 emission rates, measured by COSPEC, correlate with the amplitude of these tilt cycles, and that higher rates of SO2 emission were associated with stronger ground deformation and enhanced hybrid seismicity. Within tilt cycles, degassing peaks coincide with maximum deformation gradients. Increases in the amount of gas in the magma conduit feeding the dome, probably due to increases in volatile content of ascending magma volume can account for the observed increases in tilt amplitude, hybrid seismicity and SO2 emission rate. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

The Ongoing Eruption in Montserrat

Volcanology became a modern, interdisciplinary science after two deadly eruptions in 1902 killed 36,000 people and researchers realized the need for a better understanding of volcano behavior. In a Perspective, the staff of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory give an overview of what is known about a current hazard: the Soufriere Hills volcano