GAS GEOCHEMISTRY AT GRANDE COMORE AND MAYOTTE VOLCANIC ISLANDS (COMOROS
ARCHIPELAGO), INDIAN OCEAN
Abstract
The Comoros Archipelago is an active geodynamic region of intra-plate
volcanism within which the youngest and oldest islands (Grande Comore
and Mayotte respectively) are characterized by recent volcanic activity.
The frequent eruptions of the large shield volcano Karthala on Grande
Comore (last eruption 2007), and the recent birth of a large submarine
volcano since 2018 at the submarine base of Mayotte are associated with
permanent fumarolic emissions, bubbling gas seeps, and soil gas
emissions, which are studied in detail here for the first time.
CO2 fluxes and chemical and isotopic gas compositions
acquired during two surveys in 2017 and 2020 are integrated with older
datasets collected between 2005 and 2016, permitting the identification
of a possible influence of the recent volcanic and magmatic activity at
Mayotte. At Karthala, high gas fluxes with high temperature, and a
marked magmatic signature are concentrated close to the summit crater
area, while only weaker emissions with a stronger biogenic signature are
found on the volcano flanks. At Mayotte, lower temperature and higher
CH4 content are recorded in two main seep areas of
CO2-rich fluid bubbling, while soil emissions on land
record a higher proportion of magmatic fluids compared to Karthala. Our
preliminary results reveal two quite separate gas emission patterns for
each island that are distinct in composition and isotopic signatures,
and well-correlated with the present state of volcanic activity. This
work may potentially provide support for local observation
infrastructures and contribute to the improvement in volcanic and
environmental monitoring