Knowra Volcanic gas Volcanic gas Volcanic gas is gas released from magma or volcanic systems, especially water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Its composition and release rate vary with magma chemistry and volcanic activity.
Volatile (geology) : A substance that readily forms a gas under geological conditions, including water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur compounds. These dissolved magma components separate into volcanic gas as pressure and temperature change.
Volcanic gas monitoring : The measurement of gases emitted by volcanoes to assess activity and environmental hazards. Changes in gas composition or flux can signal shifts in magma movement.
Water vapor : Water in its gaseous state, produced by evaporation or released from geological and biological processes. It is usually the most abundant component of volcanic emissions.
Laze : A hazardous plume formed when lava enters seawater and produces steam, acid, and fine volcanic particles. Volcanic gases and aerosols contribute to this coastal eruption hazard.
Lake Nyos disaster : The 1986 release of carbon dioxide from Lake Nyos in Cameroon, which suffocated more than 1,700 people. This catastrophic natural gas release illustrates carbon dioxide's danger when it accumulates unseen.
Magma degassing : The process by which dissolved gases escape from magma as it rises, cools, or crystallizes. It describes how volcanic gas separates from magma before and during eruption.
Differential optical absorption spectroscopy : A spectroscopic method that measures trace gases by analyzing their absorption of ultraviolet and visible light. Scientists use it to measure sulfur dioxide plumes from volcanoes.
Carbon dioxide : A colorless gas composed of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It can escape from magma at depth and collect in low-lying areas.
Volcanic smog : Air pollution formed when volcanic emissions, especially sulfur dioxide, react in the atmosphere. It shows how released gas can become a persistent regional health hazard.
Laki eruption : A fissure eruption in Iceland from 1783 to 1784 that released vast quantities of sulfur dioxide and lava. Its gas emissions caused severe regional air pollution and broader climatic effects.
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