Time for a volcano tax to stop ‘global warming’?! Subglacial volcanoes ‘may be major emitters of carbon dioxide’ – The ‘global volcanic CO2 budget may have been underestimated’

Study Excerpt: "Ilyinskaya et al. recorded the first atmospheric gas emission rate measurements from Katla, one of Iceland’s largest active volcanoes. This massive ice-covered caldera, which last erupted a century ago, was previously assumed to be a relatively minor emitter of CO2, but the new results suggest otherwise...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)"

"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."

Also see: Do carbon caps apply to volcanos? ‘Iceland’s volcano is emitting between 150,000 and 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per day…in same emissions league as a small-to-medium European economy’

Flashback 2008: The lack of atmospheric dust 'could be responsible for as much as a .1 to .2 degree Celsius rise (about .18 to .36 degrees Fahrenheit) in the average temperature on Earth since the 1960s'

By: Marc Morano - Climate DepotFebruary 26, 2019 10:28 AM with 0 comments

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.

SOURCE: Geophysical Research Letters

An airborne view of the massive glacier (600 square kilometers and up to 700 meters thick) that covers Katla, one of Iceland’s most active and hazardous volcanoes. New research of Katla’s emissions suggests that ice-covered volcanoes may emit greater quantities of carbon dioxide than previously estimated. Credit: Evgenia Ilyinskaya

By Terri Cook 8 November 2018

The emission rate of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the less obvious—but nevertheless significant—measures of volcanic activity. Volcanic CO₂ emissions are also important for understanding the preindustrial climate balance. To date, estimates of global volcanic CO₂emissions have been extrapolated primarily from measurements collected at a small number of active sources. Ice-covered volcanic centers are prevalent, but they are often difficult to access, and their vents are difficult to discern, so they are rarely included in these calculations.To address this gap, Ilyinskaya et al. recorded the first atmospheric gas emission rate measurements from Katla, one of Iceland’s largest active volcanoes. This massive ice-covered caldera, which last erupted a century ago, was previously assumed to be a relatively minor emitter of CO₂, but the new results suggest otherwise.

The team detected CO₂emitted 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 CO₂per 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

Citation: Cook, T. (2018), Volcano in Iceland is one of the largest sources of volcanic CO₂, Eos, 99,https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EO109123. Published on 08 November 2018.

Related Links:

Flashback 2008: The lack of atmospheric dust ‘could be responsible for as much as a .1 to .2 degree Celsius rise (about .18 to .36 degrees Fahrenheit) in the average temperature on Earth since the 1960s’ – Excerpt: A relatively bright eclipse means that the Earth’s atmosphere is comparatively free of volcanic dust, and that relatively large amounts of sunlight are being refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere…Scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder are drawing some controversial conclusions from those bright lunar surfaces, however. They say that the lack of observed dust in the atmosphere over the past 12 years could be responsible for as much as a .1 to .2 degree Celsius rise (about .18 to .36 degrees Fahrenheit) in the average temperature on Earth since the 1960s. That certainly wouldn’t account for the entire range of observed temperature shifts (the average temperature in that time has risen by about .6 Celsius, or 1.08 Fahrenheit degrees) – but if true, it could complicate global climate change analyses.

When will Iceland pay their climate debt? Iceland volcano ‘set to erupt’ – Releasing ‘staggering amounts of CO2 is being emitted’ – In the journal, the team wrote: “Through high-precision airborne measurements and atmospheric dispersion modelling, we show that Katla, a highly hazardous subglacial volcano which last erupted 100 years ago, is one of the largest volcanic sources of CO2 on Earth, releasing up to five percent of total global volcanic emissions.”

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