Volcanoes as a source of volatile trace elements in the atmosphere

Thesis/Dissertation · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:5907645

Phelan, J M

A high volume sampling system was developed for the collection of volcanic plume aerosols from an aircraft sampling platform. Concentrations of up to 30 elements on particles were determined simultaneously with gas-phase concentrations of S, Cl, and Br in the quiescent plumes of five active volcanoes: Mount St. Helens, US; Arenal and Poas, Costa Rica; Colima and El Chichon, Mexico. Volatile and chalcophilic elements were found to be highly enriched, relative to average crustal and bulk pyroclastic material, in the quiescent plumes of all volcanoes studied. Enriched volatile elements were found to be primarily associated with fine (less than or equal to 3-..mu..m diam) particles, those expected to have the longest residence times in the atmosphere. Samples were also collected using the aircraft sampling system in background, mid-tropospheric air. Analysis of these samples revealed that many of the same elements that are enriched in volcanic plumes are also enriched in clean, relatively remote aerosols collected in the free troposphere (5-7 km). Concentrations of sulfates made in the North American free troposphere (280 ng/m/sup 3/) approach those measured at remote background sites.

• OSTI ID: 5907645
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
580202 -- Geophysics-- Volcanology-- (1980-1989)
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
MONITORING
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLUMES
POLLUTION
SAMPLING
SOLS
TRACE AMOUNTS
VOLCANOES