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Spatial and temporal variations in SO2 and PM2.5 levels around Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i during 2007–2018

February 24, 2020

Among the hazards posed by volcanoes are the emissions of gases and particles that can affect air quality and damage agriculture and infrastructure. A recent intense episode of volcanic degassing associated with severe impacts on air quality accompanied the 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption of Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i. This resulted in a major increase in gas emission rates with respect to usual emission values for this volcano, along with a shift in the source of the dominant plume to a populated area on the lower flank of the volcano. This led to reduced air quality in downwind communities. We analyse open-access data from the permanent air quality monitoring networks operated by the Hawai'i Department of Health (HDOH) and National Park Service (NPS), and report on measurements of atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2) between 2007 and 2018 and PM2.5 (aerosol particulate matter with diameter

Publication Year 2020
Title Spatial and temporal variations in SO2 and PM2.5 levels around Kīlauea volcano, Hawai'i during 2007–2018
DOI 10.3389/feart.2020.00036
Authors R.C.W. Whitty, E. Ilyinskaya, E. Mason, P.E. Wieser, E. Liu, A. Schmidt, T.J. Roberts, M.A. Pfeffer, Barbara Brooks, T.A. Mather, M. Edmonds, Tamar Elias, David Schneider, C. Oppenheimer, A. Dybwad, Patricia Nadeau, Christoph Kern
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Frontiers in Earth Science
Index ID 70260216
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Volcano Science Center
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