Volcanic eruptions are known to have influenced climate over several years in recent history (e.g., Pinatubo; El Chichón), and on extended timescales in volcanically active periods, and are possible factors in the demise of ancient civilizations. The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, for example, demonstrated quite clearly that volcanoes are important natural sources of atmospheric gasses and ash, and these materials can pose major environmental hazards and economic threats when volcanic clouds interfere with air traffic. Longer-term effects of volcanic eruptions, namely atmospheric perturbations, may stem from the copious release of magmatic sulfur, carbon, and halogens.
The dispersion of eruption plumes in the atmosphere depends partly on the physical dispersion of ash clouds in atmospheric currents, and partly on microscale chemical reactions that decompose the chemical species. Focused research in this theme will therefore consider: 1) advances in ground-based, aerial, and remotely sensed data collected on volcanic gas, aerosol, and ash plumes so as to balance the volatile component erupted against reasonable mass budgets that exist within the solid earth, 2) real-time and retrospective physical and chemical tracking of explosive and non-explosive (diffuse) inputs of trace gases and ash, and 3) how to develop a mechanistic understanding of halogen emission and transport during explosive and effusive eruptions.
Mean global SO2 vertical column density (VCD) as seen by the GOME-2 instrument in 2007/2008. Besides anthropogenic emissions (e.g., caused by coal plants in China or heavy metal industries in Northern Russia), several strongly degassing volcanoes can be identified all over the world (like Kilauea in Hawaii, Popocatépetl in Mexico or Nyamuragira/Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of Congo).
Mean SO2 vertical column densities (VCD) over the Malay Archipelago as seen by GOME-2 in 2007/2008. Hosting most of the world’s active volcanoes, the map is dominated by the SO2 emissions of strongly degassing volcanoes (e.g Ambrym, Rabaul or Anatahan).
VAMOS relies on spectroscopy observations of gas and particle compositions and dynamics at different atmospheric levels by Prof. Peter Hoor and Prof. Christiane Voigt, as well as the modelling of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics by Prof. Holger Tost.