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Diffuse volcanic gas emission and thermal energy release from the summit crater of Pico do Fogo, Cape Verde

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Abstract

We report the first detailed study of diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), helium (He), and hydrogen (H2) from the summit crater of Pico do Fogo volcano, Cape Verde. Diffuse CO2, H2S, He, and H2 gas fluxes were measured at 57 sampling sites and ranged up to 12,800, 13, 1, and 6 g m−2 day−1, respectively. Soil temperature measurements at each sampling site were used to evaluate the heat flux. Most of the summit crater shows relatively high CO2 efflux, with highest values close to the fumarolic area, suggesting a structural control of the degassing process. In contrast, H2S effluxes were negligible or very low at the summit crater, except close to the fumarolic area where anomalously high CO2 efflux and soil temperatures were also measured. We estimate total CO2, H2S, He, and H2 diffuse gas fluxes of 219 t day−1, 25, 4, and 33 kg day−1, respectively. Based on a H2O/CO2 mass ratio of 1.52 measured at the fumaroles, we estimate a diffuse steam flux from the summit crater of approximately 330 t day−1. The enthalpy of this steam is equivalent to a heat flux of about 10.3 MW. The diffuse gas emission and thermal energy released from the summit crater of Pico do Fogo volcano are comparable to those observed at other volcanoes. Sustained surveillance of Pico do Fogo using these methods will be valuable for monitoring the activity of one of the most active volcanoes in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been partially funded by the projects (i) MAKAVOL (MAC/3/C161) of the European Union Transnational Cooperation Programme MAC 2007–2013, (ii) CABOVERDE (08-CAP2-1202) of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation & Development, AECID, and (iii) UNICV of the Servicio de Acción Exterior del Cabildo Insular de Tenerife (Canary Island, Spain). We are also grateful to José Antonio Fernandes “Madjer”, António Gonçalves, Inocencio Barros, Judite Nascimento and Joao Feliberto Semedo for their logistical support during the field work related to this research, as well as to Takeshi Ohba, Clive Oppenheimer and anonymous reviewer whose useful comments and constructive suggestions greatly improved the manuscript.

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  1. Samara M. Dionis

    Present address: Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN), Antiguo Hotel Taoro, Parque Taoro 22, 38400, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN), 38400, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

    Samara M. Dionis, Gladys Melián, Fátima Rodríguez, Pedro A. Hernández, Eleazar Padrón, Nemesio M. Pérez, Jose Barrancos & Germán Padilla

  2. Environmental Research Division, Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER), 38611, Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

    Gladys Melián, Pedro A. Hernández, Eleazar Padrón, Nemesio M. Pérez, Jose Barrancos & Germán Padilla

  3. Geochemical Research Center, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

    Hirochika Sumino

  4. Laboratório de Engenharia Civil (LEC), Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde

    Paulo Fernandes & Zuleyka Bandomo

  5. Universidade de Cabo Verde (UNICV), Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde

    Sónia Silva & José M. Pereira

  6. Serviço Nacional de Protecção Civil (SNPC), Praia, Santiago, Cape Verde

    Hélio Semedo

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  1. Samara M. Dionis
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  2. Gladys Melián
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Correspondence to Samara M. Dionis.

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Dionis, S.M., Melián, G., Rodríguez, F. et al. Diffuse volcanic gas emission and thermal energy release from the summit crater of Pico do Fogo, Cape Verde. Bull Volcanol 77, 10 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-014-0897-4

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