https://eos.org/research-spotlights/volcano-in-iceland-is-one-of-the-largest-sources-of-volcanic-co2
Volcano in Iceland Is One of the Largest Sources of Volcanic CO2
High-precision airborne measurements, in combination with atmospheric modeling, suggest that the Katla subglacial caldera may be one of the planet’s biggest sources of volcanic carbon dioxide.
The team detected CO2 emitted by Katla by analyzing airborne gas emission measurements made in October 2016 and October 2017. These observations were combined with gas dispersion modeling to calculate the volcano’s total emissions. The results indicate that Katla emits 12–24 kilotons of CO2 per day, which is more than double previous estimates of the emission rate of CO2 from all volcanic and geothermal sources in Iceland combined (2.7–5.8 kilotons per day). Although the large CO2 emission rate may suggest the presence of magma in the roots of Katla volcano, regular monitoring is needed to establish whether there is a link between the CO2 emission and any future eruptions.
These findings suggest that subglacial volcanoes—the emissions of which have not been considered in much detail, historically—may be major emitters of carbon dioxide. Because of this, their contributions to the global volcanic CO2 budget may have been underestimated. Future work will determine whether Katla is representative of other ice-covered volcanoes. (Geophysical Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018GL079096, 2018)
—Terri Cook, Freelance Writer
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Iceland Katla volcano emits up to 24,000 tons of CO2 per day, may be about to blow
Wacky Media: NPR and CNN worry that Global Warming may have caused Iceland’s Volcano! – NPR: ‘We do wonder whether there’s human involvement in all of these eruptions, earthquakes, storms’
