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Results and reflections from a network of low-cost permanent ultraviolet cameras for sulphur dioxide measurements

Tom D Pering1, Thomas Charles Wilkes1, Patricia A. Nadeau2, Christoph Kern3, Silvana Hidalgo4, Felipe Aguilera5,6, Susana Layana5, Aisyah Nurnaning7, Hanik Humaida, H7, Alfabi Sakti7, Nick Varley8.

  • Affiliations:  1School of Geography and Planning, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; 2U.S. Geological Survey, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Hilo, HI, United States; 3U.S. Geological Survey, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA, United States; 4Instituto Geofísico de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador; 5Millennium Institute on Volcanic Risk Research---Ckelar Volcanoes, Antofagasta, Chile; 6Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; 7Geological Agency of Indonesia Center For Volcanological and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Cendana Street 15 of Yogyakarta, Indonesia; 8Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Colima, Colima, Mexico.

  • Presentation type: Talk

  • Presentation time: Friday 16:15 - 16:30, Room S150

  • Programme No: 3.17.11

  • Theme 3 > Session 17

Abstract

We report on the results of a growing network of ultraviolet (UV) cameras installed at seven volcanoes, based on the low-cost PiCam design from the VolcanoTech group at the University of Sheffield. The instruments are installed at: Kīlauea (USA), Cotopaxi and Reventador (Ecuador), Lascar and Lastarria (Chile), Merapi (Indonesia), and Colima (Mexico) volcanoes. Each location has a bespoke setup ranging from completely remote to integrated into existing monitoring systems with telemetry. The UV cameras provide notable advantages over other common sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission measurement techniques, providing improvements in spatial and temporal resolution which facilitate comparison with other key data streams. Given the range of activity styles imaged, we have gained unique insights into the performance of the UV camera technique. We have grappled with common issues such as the challenges of measurements during varied emission quantities, fluctuating plume direction, and the ever-present effect of light dilution. Here, we present results across three specific activity styles at Kīlauea, showing good agreement of our results with those of traverse DOAS measurements. At Merapi, we compare our results to those from an independent NOVAC scanning spectrometer network. Finally, given optimal measurement conditions at Lastarria, we demonstrate the full capability and benefits of UV cameras. Here, we can resolve individual vents to isolate changes in outgassing through time. Overall, we suggest that installations of UV cameras for SO2 emissions measurements offer a significant opportunity for our community to understand short and long-term gas release patterns across a range of targets.