Spatially resolved SO2 flux emissions from Mt Etna

Abstract

We report on a systematic record of SO2 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 SO2 flux time series allow capturing shifts in activity from one vent to another and contribute to our understanding of Etna’s shallowplumbingsystemstructure.We findthatthe fissureeruptioncontributed~50,000tofSO2 or~30%of the SO2 emitted by the volcano during the 5 July to 10 August eruptive interval. Activity from this eruptive ventgraduallyvanishedon10August,markingaswitchofdegassingtowardtheNSEC.Onsetofdegassingat the NSEC was a precursory to explosive paroxysmal activity on 11–15 August.