On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions

Abstract Today, volcanic sulfur emissions into the atmosphere are measured spectroscopically from the ground, air and space. For eruptions prior to the satellite era, two main sulfur proxies are used, the rock and ice core records, as illustrated by Peccia et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023g...

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Main Authors: Bruno Scaillet, Clive Oppenheimer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-06-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107180
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author Bruno Scaillet
Clive Oppenheimer
author_facet Bruno Scaillet
Clive Oppenheimer
author_sort Bruno Scaillet
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Today, volcanic sulfur emissions into the atmosphere are measured spectroscopically from the ground, air and space. For eruptions prior to the satellite era, two main sulfur proxies are used, the rock and ice core records, as illustrated by Peccia et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl103334). The first approach is based on calculations of the sulfur content of the magma, while the second uses traces of sulfur deposited in ice. Both approaches have their limitations. For glaciochemistry, the volcano responsible for a sulfur anomaly is often unknown and the atmospheric pathway by which the sulfur reached the ice uncertain. The petrologic method relies, too, on uncertain estimates of eruption size and a number of geochemical assumptions that are hard to verify. A deeper knowledge of processes occurring both within magma bodies prior to eruption, and within volcanic plumes in the atmosphere is needed to further our understanding of the impacts of volcanism on climate.
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spelling doaj-art-6bcd06b5d9f04b43bd7b5c1c36a760932025-08-20T03:49:37ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072024-06-015112n/an/a10.1029/2023GL107180On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic EruptionsBruno Scaillet0Clive Oppenheimer1Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans UMR 7327 Université d’Orléans‐CNRS‐BRGM Orléans FranceDepartment of Geography University of Cambridge Cambridge UKAbstract Today, volcanic sulfur emissions into the atmosphere are measured spectroscopically from the ground, air and space. For eruptions prior to the satellite era, two main sulfur proxies are used, the rock and ice core records, as illustrated by Peccia et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023gl103334). The first approach is based on calculations of the sulfur content of the magma, while the second uses traces of sulfur deposited in ice. Both approaches have their limitations. For glaciochemistry, the volcano responsible for a sulfur anomaly is often unknown and the atmospheric pathway by which the sulfur reached the ice uncertain. The petrologic method relies, too, on uncertain estimates of eruption size and a number of geochemical assumptions that are hard to verify. A deeper knowledge of processes occurring both within magma bodies prior to eruption, and within volcanic plumes in the atmosphere is needed to further our understanding of the impacts of volcanism on climate.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107180sulfurvolcanoesatmosphereclimateeruptionpetrology
spellingShingle Bruno Scaillet
Clive Oppenheimer
On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
Geophysical Research Letters
sulfur
volcanoes
atmosphere
climate
eruption
petrology
title On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
title_full On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
title_fullStr On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
title_full_unstemmed On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
title_short On the Budget and Atmospheric Fate of Sulfur Emissions From Large Volcanic Eruptions
title_sort on the budget and atmospheric fate of sulfur emissions from large volcanic eruptions
topic sulfur
volcanoes
atmosphere
climate
eruption
petrology
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL107180
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AT cliveoppenheimer onthebudgetandatmosphericfateofsulfuremissionsfromlargevolcaniceruptions