Gas composition of Popocatépetl Volcano between 2007 and 2008: FTIR spectroscopic measurements of an explosive event and during quiescent degassing

On December 1, 2007, the solar absorption infrared spectra of the Popocatépetl volcanic plume was recorded during an eruptive event and complementarily on November 17, 2008, the passive quiescent degassing was measured from the same site. A portable FTIR spectrometer with a scanning mirror for fast tracking of the sun provided the flexibility, quality, and simplicity needed for field deployment. Slant columns of the gases SO2, HCl, HF, and SiF4 were retrieved and strong differences could be observed when comparing gas ratios in both time periods. During the explosive eruption, the SO2/HCl ratio was three times greater and the HF/HCl ratio was slightly smaller than during passive degassing.While the ratios among SO2, HCl, HF, and SiF4 describe the chemical composition of the volcanic gas mixture, the SiF4/HF ratio provides information about the equilibrium temperatures of the stored gases which in this study were calculated at 150° and 185 °C for the explosive and quiescent degassing episodes, respectively. We conclude that cooling of lava domes in the crater precedes Vulcanian explosions as suggested by Schaaf et al (2005). Based on SO2 flux (Grutter et al., 2008) and measurements and data from the November 2008 event, the average fluxes for HCl, HF, SiF4, and F through quiescent degassing are estimated to be 204, 22.7, 9.8, and 31.7 tons/day, respectively. These values are similar to those reported by Love et al. (1998) more than 10 yrs ago.

Research Highlights
► SO2, HCl, HF, SiF4 are measured simultaneously in the plume of Popocatepetl Volcano.
► The study focuses on the difference between explosive vs. passive degassing.
► The SiF4/HF ratio indicates dome cooling prior Vulcanian explosions.
► SO2-richer gas was present during the Vulcanian explosion.