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Dynamic coupling of volcanic CO 2 flow and wind at the Horseshoe Lake tree kill, Mammoth Mountain, California
Author(s) -
Lewicki J. L.,
Hilley G. E.,
Tosha T.,
Aoyagi R.,
Yamamoto K.,
Benson S. M.
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.1029/2006gl028848
Subject(s) - volcano , mammoth , front (military) , geology , airflow , wind speed , wind direction , hydrology (agriculture) , flow (mathematics) , atmospheric sciences , environmental science , geomorphology , physical geography , oceanography , seismology , geography , paleontology , mechanical engineering , geometry , geotechnical engineering , mathematics , engineering
We investigate spatio‐temporal relationships between soil CO 2 flux (F CO2 ), meteorological variables, and topography over a ten‐day period (09/12/2006 to 09/21/2006) at the Horseshoe Lake tree kill, Mammoth Mountain, CA. Total CO 2 discharge varied from 16 to 52 t d −1 , suggesting a decline in CO 2 emissions over decadal timescales. We observed systematic changes in F CO2 in space and time in association with a weather front with relatively high wind speeds from the west and low atmospheric pressures. The largest F CO2 changes were observed in relatively high elevation areas. The variations in F CO2 may be due to dynamic coupling of wind‐driven airflow through the subsurface and flow of source CO 2 at depth. Our results highlight the influence of weather fronts on volcanic gas flow in the near‐surface environment and how this influence can vary spatially within a study area.