Geosciences (Jan 2018)
Ground-Based Measurements of the 2014–2015 Holuhraun Volcanic Cloud (Iceland)
- Melissa A. Pfeffer,
- Baldur Bergsson,
- Sara Barsotti,
- Gerður Stefánsdóttir,
- Bo Galle,
- Santiago Arellano,
- Vladimir Conde,
- Amy Donovan,
- Evgenia Ilyinskaya,
- Mike Burton,
- Alessandro Aiuppa,
- Rachel C. W. Whitty,
- Isla C. Simmons,
- Þórður Arason,
- Elín B. Jónasdóttir,
- Nicole S. Keller,
- Richard F. Yeo,
- Hermann Arngrímsson,
- Þorsteinn Jóhannsson,
- Mary K. Butwin,
- Robert A. Askew,
- Stéphanie Dumont,
- Sibylle von Löwis,
- Þorgils Ingvarsson,
- Alessandro La Spina,
- Helen Thomas,
- Fred Prata,
- Fausto Grassa,
- Gaetano Giudice,
- Andri Stefánsson,
- Frank Marzano,
- Mario Montopoli,
- Luigi Mereu
Affiliations
- Melissa A. Pfeffer
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Baldur Bergsson
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Sara Barsotti
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Gerður Stefánsdóttir
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Bo Galle
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
- Santiago Arellano
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
- Vladimir Conde
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden
- Amy Donovan
- Department of Geography, King’s College London, WC2R 2LS London, UK
- Evgenia Ilyinskaya
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
- Mike Burton
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, M13 9P Manchester, UK
- Alessandro Aiuppa
- Dipartimento DiSTeM, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy
- Rachel C. W. Whitty
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK
- Isla C. Simmons
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XP Edinburgh, UK
- Þórður Arason
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Elín B. Jónasdóttir
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Nicole S. Keller
- Environment Agency of Iceland, Suðurlandsbraut 24, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Richard F. Yeo
- AUV Consultants, 52Vesturás, Reykjavík 101, Iceland
- Hermann Arngrímsson
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Þorsteinn Jóhannsson
- Environment Agency of Iceland, Suðurlandsbraut 24, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Mary K. Butwin
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Robert A. Askew
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Sæmundargata 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Stéphanie Dumont
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Sæmundargata 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Sibylle von Löwis
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Þorgils Ingvarsson
- Icelandic Meteorological Office, Bústaðavegur 7-9, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Alessandro La Spina
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia- Sezione di Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
- Helen Thomas
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TH Bristol, UK
- Fred Prata
- AIRES Pty Ltd, PO Box 156, Mt Eliza, Victoria 3930, Australia
- Fausto Grassa
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia- Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo la Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
- Gaetano Giudice
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia- Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo la Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
- Andri Stefánsson
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Sæmundargata 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Frank Marzano
- Sapienza, University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
- Mario Montopoli
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy
- Luigi Mereu
- Sapienza, University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8010029
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 8,
no. 1
p. 29
Abstract
The 2014–2015 Bárðarbunga fissure eruption at Holuhraun in central Iceland was distinguished by the high emission of gases, in total 9.6 Mt SO2, with almost no tephra. This work collates all ground-based measurements of this extraordinary eruption cloud made under particularly challenging conditions: remote location, optically dense cloud with high SO2 column amounts, low UV intensity, frequent clouds and precipitation, an extensive and hot lava field, developing ramparts, and high-latitude winter conditions. Semi-continuous measurements of SO2 flux with three scanning DOAS instruments were augmented by car traverses along the ring-road and along the lava. The ratios of other gases/SO2 were measured by OP-FTIR, MultiGAS, and filter packs. Ratios of SO2/HCl = 30–110 and SO2/HF = 30–130 show a halogen-poor eruption cloud. Scientists on-site reported extremely minor tephra production during the eruption. OPC and filter packs showed low particle concentrations similar to non-eruption cloud conditions. Three weather radars detected a droplet-rich eruption cloud. Top of eruption cloud heights of 0.3–5.5 km agl were measured with ground- and aircraft-based visual observations, web camera and NicAIR II infrared images, triangulation of scanning DOAS instruments, and the location of SO2 peaks measured by DOAS traverses. Cloud height and emission rate measurements were critical for initializing gas dispersal simulations for hazard forecasting.
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