Synoptic analysis of a decade of daily measurements of SO2 emission in the troposphere from volcanoes of the global ground-based Network for Observation of Volcanic and Atmospheric Change

Abstract

Volcanic plumes are common and far-reaching manifestations of volcanic activity during and be-tween eruptions. Observations of the rate of emission and composition of volcanic plumes are essential to rec-ognize and, in some cases, predict the state of volcanic activity. Measurements of the size and location of theplumes are important to assess the impact of the emission from sporadic or localized events to persistent orwidespread processes of climatic and environmental importance. These observations provide information onvolatile budgets on Earth, chemical evolution of magmas, and atmospheric circulation and dynamics. Space-based observations during the last decades have given us a global view of Earth’s volcanic emission, particularlyof sulfur dioxide (SO2). Although none of the satellite missions were intended to be used for measurementof volcanic gas emission, specially adapted algorithms have produced time-averaged global emission budgets.These have confirmed that tropospheric plumes, produced from persistent degassing of weak sources, dominatethe total emission of volcanic SO2. Although space-based observations have provided this global insight intosome aspects of Earth’s volcanism, it still has important limitations. The magnitude and short-term variabilityof lower-atmosphere emissions, historically less accessible from space, remain largely uncertain. Operationalmonitoring of volcanic plumes, at scales relevant for adequate surveillance, has been facilitated through the useof ground-based scanning differential optical absorption spectrometer (ScanDOAS) instruments since the be-ginning of this century, largely due to the coordinated effort of the Network for Observation of Volcanic andAtmospheric Change (NOVAC). In this study, we present a compilation of results of homogenized post-analysisof measurements of SO2flux and plume parameters obtained during the period March 2005 to January 2017of 32 volcanoes in NOVAC. This inventory opens a window into the short-term emission patterns of a diverseset of volcanoes in terms of magma composition, geographical location, magnitude of emission, and style oferuptive activity. We find that passive volcanic degassing is by no means a stationary process in time and thatlarge sub-daily variability is observed in the flux of volcanic gases, which has implications for emission budgetsproduced using short-term, sporadic observations. The use of a standard evaluation method allows for intercom-parison between different volcanoes and between ground- and space-based measurements of the same volcanoes.The emission of several weakly degassing volcanoes, undetected by satellites, is presented for the first time. Wealso compare our results with those reported in the literature, providing ranges of variability in emission notaccessible in the past. The open-access data repository introduced in this article will enable further exploitationof this unique dataset, with a focus on volcanological research, risk assessment, satellite-sensor validation, andimproved quantification of the prevalent tropospheric component of global volcanic emission.