Lead supervisor: Marie Edmonds, Earth Sciences
Co-supervisor: Alexandra Turchyn, Earth Sciences; Emma Nicholson, UCL; Alessandro Aiuppa, University of Palermo, Italy
Brief summary:
This project will explore the potential for ground- and aerial vehicle-based measurements of carbon flux and isotopic composition to monitor volcanoes and forecast eruptive activity.
Importance of the area of research concerned:
Volcanic degassing is an important indicator of eruptive activity and may be used to monitor that state of unrest. Typically measurements of fluxes and compositions of volcanic gases are carried out for the principal volatile species: water, carbon dioxide, sulfur and halogen gases. Carbon isotopic composition of magma may vary according to tectonic setting, and due to mantle heterogeneity. In addition, carbon isotopes are fractionated during the process of carbon exsolution from silicate melt, and also may change if the magma or gases interact with a hydrothermal system. Monitoring the carbon isotopic composition of volcanic gases may therefore tell us about the source of the magma as well as the degree of degassing, making it a valuable resource for monitoring. The challenge for carbon isotope measurements in volcanic gases are acquiring samples from high temperature, high concentration gases during a range of eruptive conditions.
Project summary :
This project aims to quantify both the carbon budget and the impact of the plumbing system, fractional degassing and eruptive activity on volcanic gas carbon isotopic composition at targeted volcanoes. The project will explore the use of carbon isotopic composition as both a probe of the carbon cycle and also as a volcano monitoring tool.
What will the student do?:
The student will carry out fieldwork and measurements of volcanic gases at arc volcanoes (localities to be decided based on eruptive activity and logistical access). The student will make measurements of volcanic gas flux (SO2 flux) and composition (C/S ratios, C isotopic composition), from the ground and from unoccupied aerial vehicles, in order to characterise the time-dependent nature of gas emissions from active volcanoes. The data will be used, in tandem with existing knowledge from experiments, to construct models of degassing to provide a framework for understanding variability in volcanic gas carbon isotopic compositions.
References - references should provide further reading about the project:
Liu EJ, Wood K, Aiuppa A, Giudice G, Bitetto M, Fischer TP, McCormick Kilbride BT, Plank T, Hart T. Volcanic activity and gas emissions along the South Sandwich Arc. Bulletin of Volcanology. 2021 Jan;83:1-23.
Liu EJ, Aiuppa A, et al. Aerial strategies advance volcanic gas measurements at inaccessible, strongly degassing volcanoes. Science Advances. 2020 Oct 30;6(44):eabb9103.
Mason E, Edmonds M, Turchyn AV. Remobilization of crustal carbon may dominate volcanic arc emissions. Science. 2017 Jul 21;357(6348):290-4.
Applying
You can find out about applying for this project on the Department of Earth Sciences page.