loading page

Temporal Variability in Gas Emissions at Bagana Volcano Revealed by Aerial, Ground, and Satellite Observations
  • +15
  • Brendan McCormick Kilbride,
  • Emma J Nicholson,
  • Kieran T Wood,
  • Thomas C Wilkes,
  • C Ian Schipper,
  • Kila Mulina,
  • Ima Itikarai,
  • Thomas S Richardson,
  • Cynthia Werner,
  • Catherine SL Hayer,
  • Benjamin Esse,
  • Mike Burton,
  • Tom D. Pering,
  • Andrew J. S. McGonigle,
  • Diego Coppola,
  • Marcello Bitetto,
  • Gaetano Giudice,
  • Alessandro Aiuppa
Brendan McCormick Kilbride
University of Manchester, University of Manchester

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

Author Profile
Emma J Nicholson
Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London
Author Profile
Kieran T Wood
The University of Manchester, The University of Manchester
Author Profile
Thomas C Wilkes
University of Sheffield, University of Sheffield
Author Profile
C Ian Schipper
Victoria University of Wellington, Victoria University of Wellington
Author Profile
Kila Mulina
rabaul volcano observatory, rabaul volcano observatory
Author Profile
Ima Itikarai
Rabaul Volcano Observatory, Rabaul Volcano Observatory
Author Profile
Thomas S Richardson
University of Bristol, University of Bristol
Author Profile
Cynthia Werner
Cascades Volcano Observatory, United States Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, United States Geological Survey
Author Profile
Catherine SL Hayer
The University of Manchester, The University of Manchester
Author Profile
Benjamin Esse
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
Author Profile
Mike Burton
University of Manchester, University of Manchester
Author Profile
Tom D. Pering
University of Sheffield, University of Sheffield
Author Profile
Andrew J. S. McGonigle
University of Sheffield, University of Sheffield
Author Profile
Diego Coppola
Università di Torino, Università di Torino
Author Profile
Marcello Bitetto
University of Palermo, University of Palermo
Author Profile
Gaetano Giudice
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
Author Profile
Alessandro Aiuppa
Università di Palermo, Università di Palermo
Author Profile

Abstract

Bagana is a remote, highly active volcano, located on Bougainville Island in southeastern Papua New Guinea. The volcano has exhibited sustained and prodigious sulfur dioxide gas emissions in recent decades, accompanied by frequent episodes of lava extrusion. The remote location of Bagana and its persistent activity have made it a valuable case study for satellite observations of active volcanism. This remoteness has also left many features of Bagana relatively unexplored. Here, we present the first measurements of volcanic gas composition, achieved by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) flights through the volcano’s summit plume, and a payload comprising a miniaturised MultiGAS. We combine our measurements of molar CO2/SO2 ratio in the plume with coincident remote sensing measurements (ground- and satellite-based) of SO2 emission rate, to compute the first estimate of CO2 flux at Bagana. We report low SO2 and CO2 fluxes at Bagana from our fieldwork in September 2019, ~320 ± 76 td-1 and ~320 ± 84 td-1 respectively, which we attribute to the volcano’s low level of activity at the time of our visit. We use satellite observations to demonstrate that Bagana’s activity and emissions behaviour are highly variable and advance the argument that such variability is likely an inherent feature of many volcanoes worldwide and as yet is inadequately captured by our extant volcanic gas inventories, which are often biased to sporadic measurements. We argue that there is great value in the use of UAS combined with MultiGAS-type instruments for remote monitoring of gas emissions from other inaccessible volcanoes.