This award provides support to develop and field-test a new remote-sensing device which will be capable of quantifying the rate of emission of carbon dioxide gas during volcanic eruptions. The prototype instrument, a portable infrared absorption spectrometer, will be designed to measure the carbon dioxide content in a line- of-sight through a volcanic eruption plume and to sort out the signal (the carbon dioxide in the plume) from noise (the normal background carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere). The instrument package will be designed for use either in airplanes or ground locations. Although carbon dioxide is the second most abundant volcanic gas (after water), little is known about either the total amounts emitted by active volcanos during eruption or the variation in emission level during the evolution of an eruption. The ability to remotely measure the flux of carbon dioxide is of importance for a variety of reasons. The origin of the Earth's atmosphere is ultimately related to volcanic degassing, and we cannot understand the significance of anthropogenic contributions unless we have a handle on the natural sources and their variation over time. Major volcanic eruptions, well quantified, could be used as natural experiments to evaluate the impact of greenhouse gases on climate. In addition, monitoring of carbon dioxide emissions can be used to predict the course of volcanic eruptions and their local, regional, and global consequences.
