El Chichon: composition of plume gases and particles

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.222.4627.1018· OSTI ID:6686114

Kotra, J P; Finnegan, D L; Zoller, W H; Hart, M A; Moyers, J L

Aircraft measurements were made of trace gases, atmospheric particles, and condensed acid volatiles in the plume of El Chichon volcano, Chiapas, Mexico, in November 1982. Hydrogen sulfide was the primary gaseous sulfur species in the plume at the time of collection. Concentrations of 28 elements were determined by neutron activation analysis of particulate material from the plume. Rates of trace element emission to the atmosphere for each species were estimated by normalization to the simultaneously determined total sulfur emission rate. The volatile elements sulfur, chlorine, arsenic, selenium, bromine, antimony, iodine, tungsten, and mercury were enriched relative to bulk pyroclastic material by factors of 60 to 20,000. Arsenic, antimony, and selenium were associated predominantly with small ( less than or equal to 3 micrometer) particles. Calcium and sodium were present almost exclusively on larger particles and aluminum and manganese were bimodially distributed. Ashladen particulate material injected into the stratosphere during the early violent eruptions was enriched by factors of 10 to 30 relative to ash in some of the same elements observed in the quiescent plume. 18 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park
• OSTI ID: 6686114
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Vol. 222; ISSN SCIEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
AERIAL MONITORING
AIR POLLUTION
AIRCRAFT
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINIUM
ANTIMONY
ARSENIC
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY
BARYON REACTIONS
BROMINE
CALCIUM
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHLORINE
CONCENTRATION RATIO
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
EMISSION
HADRON REACTIONS
HALOGENS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
IODINE
LATIN AMERICA
MANGANESE
MERCURY
METALS
MEXICO
MONITORING
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
PLUMES
POLLUTION
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SODIUM
SULFIDES
SULFUR
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
VOLCANOES