Nature 316, 710 - 712 (22 August 1985); doi:10.1038/316710a0

Rate of sulphur dioxide emission from Erebus volcano, Antarctica, December 1983

William I. Rose^*, Raymond L. Chuan^† & Philip R. Kyle^‡

^*Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, USA
^†Brunswick Corporation, Defense Division, Costa Mesa, California 92626, USA
^‡Geosciences Department, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, USA

Mount Erebus is the principal source of volcanic emanations to the atmosphere in Antarctica. The rate of emission of SO₂ from Mt Erebus was determined to be 23090 tonnes day^-1 during an 11-day period in December 1983. This is a more accurate and much higher estimate than previous ones. Because of the very constant character of the volcano's activity from the earliest observations until September 1984, the emission rate is possibly representative of the past 20 yr. The new data are important for accurate assessment of volcanic input to the clean Antarctic atmosphere, and are a useful baseline for the changes in emission rates which will be measured now, after Erebus has begun a new energetic eruptive period.

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