Evaluation of SO2 emission from the 1982 eruption of El Chichon by glaciological and satellite methods

Abstract

The SO_2 emission at the time of the 1982 eruption of El Chichon in Mexico was estimated by a glaciological method based on sulfate ion concentration and bomb-produced total β activity in snow collected in Antarctica. The glaciological estimate of the SO_2 emission is 17±1 Mt SO_2,somewhat greater than the spectroscopic estimate (7Mt SO_2) measured by a satellite-carried total ozone mapping system. We conclude that the glaciological method is useful to estimate SO_2 emissions of past explosive volcanic eruptions in the equatorial region.