This project is for continued studies directed at comprehensive field sampling and measurement of volcanic emission products at active volcanoes. It will involve continued multi-method field sampling and measurement efforts at two or three field sites in the next two years. The new data and samples will be analyzed and interpreted using new thermochemical models which now address more than 40 components and over 500 species; these models form the basis for understanding the multitude of chemical reactions which happen when emission products, especially gases, ascend from depth, cool and oxidize in the earth's atmosphere. The PIs will use a new field measurement technique, Raman spectroscopy, which can measure emission rates of many different species. Based on experience in air pollution monitoring, the new Raman technique can measure two or more species contemporaneously in real time; this may prove to be useful for eruption forecasting. This work will add to the inadequate data base on volcanic emissions, allow for more accurate scaling of phenomena of small eruptions, help guide models of the impact of volcanism on atmospheric chemistry and possibly provide a better understanding of some kinds of ore deposits. This is a collaborative project between William Rose of Michigan Technical University and Mark Reed of the University of Oregon.
