Gas and aerosol emissions from Lascar volcano (Northern Chile): Insights into the origin of gases and their links with the volcanic activity

This study focuses on the chemical compositions of volcanic gases and aerosols emitted by Lascar volcano (Northern Chile). The sustained volcanic plume was sampled in April 2009, April 2011 and November 2012 through filter packs and analyzed for major gaseous species (SO2, HCl, and HF) and trace elements. During fieldwork, SO2 flux measurements were also performed by UV spectrometry (DOAS). The Lascar volcano is a significant and sustained emitter of SO2 (between 150 and 940 t/d), HCl (between 170 t/d and 210 t/d) and HF (up to 100 t/d). Combining the SO2-normalized trace element concentrations and the SO2 emission rates, we evaluate that the quiescent degassing of Lascar is an important local source of trace metals to the atmosphere with contributions to global volcanic fluxes generally less than 2%. Our data were used to infer the origin of the gas emitted at Lascar. Two major degassing sources were identified: a deep magmatic reservoir and a shallow hydrothermal system. The variable interaction between these two sources is the most likely scenario for explaining the compositional ranges in acid gases but also in a volatile and fluid-mobile trace element such as B. These variations are related to changes in volcanic activity: an extensive interaction between the hot ascending magmatic gases and the shallow aquifer occurred in 2009, possibly due to a long period of quiescence, before magmatic activity renewed in 2011 and 2012. Our study highlights, therefore, that filter-pack measurements may be used to study changes in subsurface processes that probably play a key role in triggering volcanic eruptions. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.