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The little known Awu volcano is among the highest CO2 degassing source on earth
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  • Philipson Bani,
  • Etienne Le Glas,
  • Pak Kristianto,
  • Alessandro Aiuppa,
  • Devy Kamil Syahbana
Philipson Bani
LMV

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Etienne Le Glas
LMV
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Pak Kristianto
CVGHM
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Alessandro Aiuppa
Università di Palermo
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Devy Kamil Syahbana
Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation
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Abstract

Awu is one of the remote and little known active volcanoes of Indonesia. It is the northernmost active volcano of Sangihe arc with 18 eruptions in less than 4 centuries, causing a cumulative death toll of 11048. Two of these eruptions were classified as VEI 4. Since 2004, a lava dome occupies the center of Awu crater, channeling the fumarolic gas output along the crater wall. A combined DOAS and MultiGAS measurements highlight a relatively small SO degassing (13 t/d) into the atmosphere. In contrast the measurements spotlight an elevated and non-negligible CO emission into the atmosphere of 2600 t/d, representing 1% of the global CO emission budget from volcanoes. The cause for this high CO degassing may reside in the peculiar geodynamic context of the region, where the slowing down of arc-to-arc collision has enhanced heating of the slab, leading to greater production of fluid rich in carbon.