Satellite derived SO2 emissions from the relatively low-intensity, effusive 2021 eruption of Fagradalsfjall, Iceland

In March 2021 an effusive eruption began at the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system in Iceland, ending nearly 800 years of dormancy on the Reykjanes peninsula. The eruption produced lava flows and moderate gas emissions and, although it did not cause significant disruption, highlighted the need for near realtime monitoring of volcanic activity on the peninsula for future eruptions. The activity passed through several phases, each characterised by a different eruption style, providing a rich testbed for monitoring methodologies.We present measurements of the volcanic sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission rate and injection altitude throughout the eruption, generated by combining satellite SO2 imagery from TROPOMI with PlumeTraj, a back-trajectory analysis toolkit. We compare the results with ground-based measurements of the emission rate and plume altitude, finding excellent agreement in the plume altitude. Reasonable agreement was also found between the measured emission rates, with the best match for stronger and more continuous emissions. This demonstrates the ability for PlumeTraj to monitor SO2 emissions from future effusive eruptions, while highlighting the need for care when analysing results from low altitude plumes or during periods of high cloud cover.& COPY; 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons .org /licenses /by /4 .0/).

Automated summary

In March 2021, an eruption occurred at the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system in Iceland, marking the end of an 800-year period of dormancy. The eruption produced lava flows and moderate gas emissions, highlighting the importance of real-time monitoring for future volcanic activity. The study combined satellite imagery and trajectory analysis to measure the volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate and injection altitude, demonstrating the effectiveness of the monitoring method for effusive eruptions.