Measuring gases from Kīlauea's summit eruption - September 10, 2023

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientists used a FTIR spectrometer on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater during the evening of September 10, 2023. The FTIR measures the composition of the gases being emitted during Kīlauea Volcano's new summit eruption by measuring how the plume absorbs infrared energy. The plume being generated by the ongoing eruption is sulfur-dioxide (SO2) rich, but also contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and halogen gases such as HCl and HF. USGS image by C. Sealing.