Silicate Particles in the Mt Etna and Masaya Plumes
Abstract
We present an overview of our work concerning the emission of fine silicate particles from active volcanoes. Size distributions of particles collected from the plumes of Mt Etna and Masaya were measured using automated scanning electron microscopy (QemSCAN). These size distributions were found to be lognormal and centred around 1 micron. These results were used to estimate emission fluxes of ~60 kg/day from Masaya and ~7000 kg/day from Mt Etna. These silicate particles are expected to have extended atmospheric lifetimes due to their small size and relative unreactivity. Fine silicate particles in ice-cores may therefore prove useful indicators of the extent of persistently active volcanism over time.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AGUFM.V41B0611M
- Keywords:
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- 0305 Aerosols and particles (0345;
- 4801;
- 4906);
- 8409 Atmospheric effects (0370);
- 8419 Volcano monitoring (7280);
- 8430 Volcanic gases