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Volcanology

Remote prospects

Nature volume 396, pages 515–517 (1998)Cite this article

The FTIR instruments take advantage of the spatial frequency characteristics of a spectral image (for example high versus low frequency) to differentiate otherwise obscure features such as minor gas species. The two papers show the feasibility of passive remote sensing using FTIR in the field, aided by solar occultation or using solar radiation scattered by clouds (a key is that solar energy needs to be concentrated in order to detect low burdens of volcanic gas in a high atmospheric background). They also hint at the potential to improve scientific insight into how volcanoes work; and they will re-ignite interest in field measurements at active volcanoes, which will in turn create many new data on volcanic degassing.

Geochemists have tried extremely hard (and have run great risks) in attempting to directly sample high-temperature, gas-emitting vents on or near volcanoes3. Vents that allow scientific study are rare gifts, however, for the magmatic gases are usually seriously contaminated by chemical constituents of the atmosphere, groundwater and other sources. They usually do not represent a pre-eruptive magmatic gas composition very well, because they are also already substantially degassed. Moreover, all too often it is highly dangerous to visit vents and sample them directly4.

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  1. The Department of Geological Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, 49931, Michigan, USA

    William I. Rose & Gregg J. S. Bluth

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  1. William I. Rose
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  2. Gregg J. S. Bluth
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Rose, W., Bluth, G. Remote prospects. Nature 396, 515–517 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/24989

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