Ground-Based measurements of the 2014-2015 holuhraun volcanic cloud (Iceland)
Journal article, 2018
The 2014-2015 Bárðarbunga fissure eruption at Holuhraun in central Iceland was distinguished by the high emission of gases, in total 9.6 Mt SO 2 , 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 SO 2 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 SO 2 flux with three scanning DOAS instruments were augmented by car traverses along the ring-road and along the lava. The ratios of other gases/SO 2 were measured by OP-FTIR, MultiGAS, and filter packs. Ratios of SO 2 /HCl = 30-110 and SO 2 /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 SO 2 peaks measured by DOAS traverses. Cloud height and emission rate measurements were critical for initializing gas dispersal simulations for hazard forecasting.
SO2
Eruption monitoring
Bárðarbunga
Fissure eruption
Holuhraun
Cloud height
Gas
Author
M. A. Pfeffer
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Baldur Bergsson
Icelandic Meteorological Office
S. Barsotti
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Gerður Stefánsdóttir
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Bo Galle
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing
Santiago Arellano
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing
Alexander Vladimir Conde Jacobo
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Microwave and Optical Remote Sensing
Amy Donovan
King's College London
Evgenia Ilyinskaya
University of Leeds
Mike Burton
University of Manchester
A. Aiuppa
University of Palermo
Rachel C.W. Whitty
University of Leeds
Isla Simmons
University of Edinburgh
Þórður Arason
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Elín B. Jónasdóttir
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Nicole S. Keller
Environment Agency of Iceland
Richard F. Yeo
AUV Consultants
Hermann Arngrímsson
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Þorsteinn Jóhannsson
Environment Agency of Iceland
Mary K. Butwin
Icelandic Meteorological Office
University of Iceland
Robert A. Askew
University of Iceland
Stéphanie Dumont
University of Beira Interior
University of Iceland
Sibylle Von Löwis
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Þorgils Ingvarsson
Icelandic Meteorological Office
Alessandro La Spina
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
Helen Thomas
University of Bristol
Fred Prata
AIRES Pty Ltd
Fausto Grassa
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
G. Giudice
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology
Andri Stefánsson
University of Iceland
Frank Marzano
Sapienza University of Rome
Mario Montopoli
Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche
Luigi Mereu
Sapienza University of Rome
Geosciences (Switzerland)
2076-3263 (eISSN)
Vol. 8 1 29Subject Categories
Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
Geophysics
Roots
Basic sciences
DOI
10.3390/geosciences8010029