Abstract
Ground based volcanic SO2 fluxes provide important insights into the behaviour of volcanoes, and their impacts upon the atmosphere. In order to compute a flux, the plume transport speed, and direction, must be known. In practice these are typically assumed to equal, respectively: (A) a ground based anemometer reading, and (B) the bearing of the vector between the volcanic gas source and the position on the downwind plume cross‐section where the gas concentration is highest. However, use of these proxies is open to question, and they can introduce large errors (possibly > 100%), thereby significantly reducing the utility of the derived fluxes. Here we present direct spectroscopic measurements of volcanic plume velocity; the data were obtained using three ultraviolet spectrometers, at Masaya volcano, Nicaragua, during January 2004. We estimate that flux measurements with overall error budgets < 10% are readily achievable with this approach.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
