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Silicate microspherules intercepted in the plume of Etna volcano

Nature volume 322, pages 817–820 (1986)Cite this article

Abstract

A possible volcanic origin has been suggested for the micrometre-sized spherules that have been discovered in polar snows or ice-cores1–5, and in the stratosphere6,7. However, although such particles, especially when black and magnetic, have been identified among the tephra deposits of some volcanoes3,8–12, their volcanic emission has never been directly observed. Here we describe micro-spherules intercepted in the plume of Mount Etna, Sicily, during moderate recurring volcanic activity. Their study, using analytical transmission and scanning electron microscopy (ATEM and ASEM) demonstrates the simultaneous presence in the plume of glassy silicate microspherules of various chemical compositions (47–98% SiO2).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Microscopie Analytique Appliquée aux Sciences de la Terre, Université Paris XII, 94010, Créteil, France

    R. Lefèvre & A. Gaudichet

  2. Laboratoire d'Etude des Particules Inhalées, 44, rue Charles Mourau, 75013, Paris, France

    A. Gaudichet & M. A. Billon-Galland

Authors
  1. R. Lefèvre
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  2. A. Gaudichet
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  3. M. A. Billon-Galland
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Lefèvre, R., Gaudichet, A. & Billon-Galland, M. Silicate microspherules intercepted in the plume of Etna volcano. Nature 322, 817–820 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/322817a0

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