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Spatially resolved SO 2 flux emissions from Mt Etna
Author(s) -
D'Aleo R.,
Bitetto M.,
Delle Donne D.,
Tamburello G.,
Battaglia A.,
Coltelli M.,
Patanè D.,
Prestifilippo M.,
Sciotto M.,
Aiuppa A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl069938
Subject(s) - volcano , impact crater , geology , flux (metallurgy) , explosive material , seismology , explosive eruption , volcanism , magma , atmospheric sciences , astrobiology , tectonics , archaeology , physics , materials science , metallurgy , history
We report on a systematic record of SO 2 flux emissions from individual vents of Etna volcano (Sicily), which we obtained using a permanent UV camera network. Observations were carried out in summer 2014, a period encompassing two eruptive episodes of the New South East Crater (NSEC) and a fissure‐fed eruption in the upper Valle del Bove. We demonstrate that our vent‐resolved SO 2 flux time series allow capturing shifts in activity from one vent to another and contribute to our understanding of Etna's shallow plumbing system structure. We find that the fissure eruption contributed ~50,000 t of SO 2 or ~30% of the SO 2 emitted by the volcano during the 5 July to 10 August eruptive interval. Activity from this eruptive vent gradually vanished on 10 August, marking a switch of degassing toward the NSEC. Onset of degassing at the NSEC was a precursory to explosive paroxysmal activity on 11–15 August.