Transient degassing events at the lava lake of Erebus volcano, Antarctica: Chemistry and mechanisms

Abstract

We report here on the chemical signature of degassing at Erebus lava lake associated with intermittent explosions and the return to passive conditions. Explosions caused by bubble bursts were frequent during the 2013 field season, providing the first opportunity to observe such activity since 2005–06. Several of the explosions were captured by multiple instruments including an open-path Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Explosive bubble bursts and other transient degassing events are associated with gas compositions that are distinct from the usual range of passive degassing compositions. We set out to compare the chemical signature of explosive degassing during the 2005–06 and 2013 episodes, and to characterise the chemistry of gases emitted during the period of lake refilling after explosions. We found little change in the explosive gas chemistry between 2005–06 and 2013, suggesting reactivation of a common mechanism of gas segregation. Bubbles can be distinguished by their size and composition, the ranges of which are likely modified during ascent by gas–melt interaction and adiabatic expansion. The proportions of water, SO₂, and HCl in the emitted gas plume increase during the refill of the lake after explosions, as the lake is recharged by a combination of magma that has already partially degassed, and that vesiculates rapidly in response to the drop in magmastatic pressure at the lake.