SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 11th January (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan) alongside the University of Manchester (United Kingdom) has spearheaded an “innovative” study examining the chemical makeup of the volcanic plume produced by the Tajogaite eruption on La Palma in 2021.
This research represents the first comprehensive dataset on magmatic gases gathered during a subaerial eruption within the Canary archipelago, as noted by the Cabildo de Tenerife in a recent statement.
Published in the esteemed international journal Chemical Geology, the study employed advanced remote optical sensing methodologies.
Additionally, daily assessments of the chemical composition of the volcanic plume were conducted during the Tajogaite eruption, utilizing open path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR).
This method allowed for the determination of the proportions of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), water vapour (H2O), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and carbon monoxide (CO) emitted from the principal eruptive outlets.
Current analysis of the data indicates “notable variations” in the chemical composition of gases related to explosive and effusive eruption styles, offering crucial insights into the dynamics of the eruption.
FEATURES OF THE MAGMA DURING THE TAJOGAITE ERUPTION
The findings further underscore how gas fractionation in shallow magmatic conduits can impact eruptive behaviour.
Moreover, the recorded CO2/SO2 ratios, among the highest documented in basaltic volcanoes, align with the oxidised nature of the magma produced in the Tajogaite eruption and the standard chemical characteristics of oceanic island basalts (OIB).
The Cabildo highlights that these findings not only enhance understanding of the magma characteristics pertaining to the Tajogaite eruption but also showcase the effectiveness of technologies like OP-FTIR for real-time monitoring of volcanic eruptions.
This study also involved researchers from the Environmental Area of the Institute of Technology and Renewable Energy (ITER), as well as scientists from international organisations including the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italy) and the Université Paris Cité (France), illustrating the importance of scientific collaboration in tackling complex volcanic phenomena.
