Volcanic gas emissions from Taftan and Damavand, the Iranian volcanoes

Abstract

Volcanic gas sampling and SO2 flux measurements were performed on Taftan volcano (3920 m height, SE Iran, Makran volcanic arc) and Damavand volcano (5610 m height, Northern Iran, Alborz Mountains). Both volcanoes possess near-summit fumarolic fields with moderately intensive gas jets and temperatures up to 160 °C (Taftan) and 175 °C (Damavand). Gases of both volcanoes contain (mmol/mol): H2O (910–930), CO2 (50–80), SO2 (3–7), H2S (2–5.5), HCl (5–8.2) and HF (0.1–0.13). Both volcanoes are also similar in terms of minor gas species (mmol/mol): He (0.0005–0.0011), H2 (0.00077–0.0046), N2(ex) (0.15–0.30) and Ar(ex) (0.0006–0.0012), where subscript “ex” denotes non-atmospheric fraction. δD–δ18O systematics has shown that Damavand fumarolic gases contain 60–65% of magmatic fraction whereas the Taftan emissions correspond to almost pure magmatic (“andesitic”) vapor. Low amount of nitrogen in Taftan gases and its isotopic composition may be explained by low input of nitrogen-containing organic matter with the subducting slab due to specific geometry of the Makran subduction zone, namely, by the presence of an accretionary prism of a considerable size. The origin of high CH4 content in Damavand gases and very low concentrations of C2H6 and higher hydrocarbons (0.65 mmol/mol; CO2/CH4 ~ 80; CH4/C2H6 ~ 104) is unclear. Fumaroles of Taftan volcano are poor in CH4, similar to many other arc volcanoes (CO2/CH4 ~ 105). 3He/4He isotopic composition expressed as R/Ra was measured at 7.0–7.5 for Taftan and 6.65 for Damavand, corresponding to the CO2/3He ratio of ~1.0E+10. The δ34S of the total sulfur is +7.6 ± 2‰ (2σ) for Taftan fumaroles and + 8.1 ± 2‰ (2σ) for Damavand fumaroles; δ13C (CO2) is −5.9 ± 2.0‰ (Damavand) and − 4.3 ± 0.15‰ (Taftan). Concentrations of major gas species (H2O/CO2/S/HCl ratios) and isotopic data (R/Ra, CO2/3He, δ34S) show that the volcanic gas composition on both volcanoes have a distinct arc signature. This conclusion is especially important for the intraplate Damavand volcano, which has an uncertain tectonic affinity but according to the latest geochemical studies was considered having hotspot/rift origin. Mini-DOAS measurements of the SO2 fluxes showed 20 ± 12 t/d SO2 at Taftan and 43 ± 20 t/d SO2 at Damavand, which places both volcanoes as small SO2 emitters.