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A Compilation of Sulfur Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide Emission-Rate Data from Mount St. Helens during 1980-88

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Metadata:

Identification_Information
Data_Quality_Information
Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
Entity_and_Attribute_Information
Distribution_Information
Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Kenneth A. McGee

Originator: Thomas J. Casadevall

Publication_Date: 1994

Title:

A Compilation of Sulfur Dioxide and Carbon Dioxide Emission-Rate Data from Mount St. Helens during 1980-88

Series_Information:

Series_Name: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report
Issue_Identification: 94-212

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Online_Linkage: <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1994/of94-212/>

Description:

Abstract:: Airborne monitoring of Mount St. Helens by the USGS began in May 1980 for sulfur dioxide emissions and in July 1980 for carbon dioxide emissions. A correlation spectrometer, or COSPEC, was used to measure sulfur dioxide in Mount St. Helens' plume. The upward-looking COSPEC was mounted in a fixed-wing aircraft and flown below and at right angles to the plume. Typically, three to six traverses were made underneath the plume to determine the SO2 burden (concentration x pathlength) within a cross-section of the plume. Knowing the burden along with the plume width and plume velocity (assumed to be the same as ambient wind speed), we could then calculate the emission rate of SO2. The use of correlation spectroscopy for determining the sulfur dioxide output of volcanoes is well established and the technique has been discussed in detail by a number of investigators (Malinconico, 1979; Casadevall and others, 1981; Stoiber and others, 1983).
Carbon dioxide in the Mount St. Helens plume was measured by an infrared spectrometer tuned to the 4.26 um CO2 absorption band. An external sample tube was attached to the fuselage of a twin-engine aircraft to deliver outside air to the gas cell of the spectrometer. The aircraft was then flown at several different elevations through the plume at right angles to plume trajectory to define plume area and carbon dioxide concentration in a vertical cross-section of the plume. These two parameters along with the density of CO2 for the altitude of the plume and the plume velocity (assumed as above to be equal to ambient wind speed) were then used to calculate the CO2 emission rate (Harris and others, 1981).
Purpose:: Presentation of airborne measurements of volcano emissions during and following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 19800501
Ending_Date: 19880918

Currentness_Reference: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 94-212

Status:

Progress: Complete
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular

Spatial_Domain:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.250
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -122.125
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 46.250
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 46.125

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: none
Theme_Keyword: Volcano emissions
Theme_Keyword: Atmospheric chemistry
Theme_Keyword: Greenhouse gases
Theme_Keyword: Sulfur dioxide
Theme_Keyword: Carbon dioxide

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: National Geologic Map Database Catalog themes, augmented
Theme_Keyword: 1500 - Hazards
Theme_Keyword: 1502 - Volcanoes

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO 19115 Topic Categories
Theme_Keyword: geoscientificInformation

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: Augmented FIPS 10-4 and FIPS 6-4, version 1.0
Place_Keyword: 53059 = Skamania

Access_Constraints: none

Use_Constraints: none

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Kenneth A. McGee

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address
Address:: David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory
U.S. Geological Survey
5400 MacArthur Boulevard
City: Vancouver
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98661
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (206) 696-7695

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kenmcgee@pwavan.wr.usgs.gov

Cross_Reference:

Citation_Information:

Originator: Kenneth A. McGee

Publication_Date: 1992

Title: Volcanic-plume data from Mount St. Helens during 1980-88

Series_Information:

Series_Name: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report
Issue_Identification: 92-361

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Reston, VA
Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:: The use of correlation spectroscopy for determining the sulfur dioxide output of volcanoes is well established and the technique has been discussed in detail by a number of investigators (Malinconico, 1979; Casadevall and others, 1981; Stoiber and others, 1983).

Logical_Consistency_Report:

From May 1980 to September 1988, more than 1000 fixed-wing aircraft flights were made by the U.S. Geological Survey in order to measure and characterize gas emissions from Mount St. Helens. Sulfur dioxide was detected on the majority of these flights. However, toward the end of this time period, and particularly during the final two years of measurements, the sulfur dioxide burden was often below the detection limit of the COSPEC. On those days, the sulfur dioxide emission rate was arbitrarily assigned a value of 3 tonnes/day in the database. Carbon dioxide was routinely measured starting in July 1980. These measurements were discontinued in August 1981 after CO2 levels had declined to near background levels.

Completeness_Report:

The data listing in this report contains all of the available daily SO2 and CO2 emission rates determined by the USGS from May 1980 through the end of the measurements in September 1988. On a few occasions, two gas-measurement flights were made in a single day. In those cases, two emission-rate values are listed for that day. Portions of this database have been presented earlier by Casadevall and others (1981, 1983), Harris and others (1981), McGee (1992a), and McGee and Sutton (in press). Other data pertaining to these measurements such as plume dimensions and wind information were earlier listed in McGee (1992b).

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Airborne monitoring of Mount St. Helens by the USGS began in May 1980 for sulfur dioxide emissions and in July 1980 for carbon dioxide emissions. A correlation spectrometer, or COSPEC, was used to measure sulfur dioxide in Mount St. Helens' plume. The upward-looking COSPEC was mounted in a fixed-wing aircraft and flown below and at right angles to the plume. Typically, three to six traverses were made underneath the plume to determine the SO2 burden (concentration x pathlength) within a cross-section of the plume. Knowing the burden along with the plume width and plume velocity (assumed to be the same as ambient wind speed), we could then calculate the emission rate of SO2.
Carbon dioxide in the Mount St. Helens plume was measured by an infrared spectrometer tuned to the 4.26 um CO2 absorption band. An external sample tube was attached to the fuselage of a twin-engine aircraft to deliver outside air to the gas cell of the spectrometer. The aircraft was then flown at several different elevations through the plume at right angles to plume trajectory to define plume area and carbon dioxide concentration in a vertical cross- section of the plume. These two parameters along with the density of CO2 for the altitude of the plume and the plume velocity (assumed as above to be equal to ambient wind speed) were then used to calculate the CO2 emission rate (Harris and others, 1981).

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:

Malinconico, L.L., 1979, Fluctuations in SO2 emission during recent eruptions of Etna: Nature, v. 278, p. 43-45.

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:

Stoiber, R.E., Malinconico, L.L. and Williams, S.N., 1983, Use of the correlation spectrometer at volcanoes, in Tazieff, H. and Sabroux, J.C., eds., Forcasting Volcanic Events: Amsterdam, Elsevier, p. 425-444.

Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation:

Harris, D.M., Sato, Motoaki, Casadevall, T.J., Rose, W.I. and Bornhorst, T.J., 1981, Emission rates of CO2 from plume measurements, in Lipman, P.W. and Mullineaux, D.L., eds., The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1250, p. 201-207.

Process_Date: 1980

Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation:

Casadevall, T.J., Johnston, D.A., Harris, D.M., Rose, W. I., Malinconcio, L.L., Stoiber, R.E., Bornhorst, T.J., Williams, S.N., Woodruff, Laurel and Thompson, J.M., 1981, SO2 emission rates at Mount St. Helens from March 29 through December, 1980, in Lipman, P.W. and Mullineaux, D. L., eds., The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1250, p. 193-200.

Process_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Kenneth A. McGee

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address
Address:: David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory
U.S. Geological Survey
5400 MacArthur Boulevard
City: Vancouver
State_or_Province: WA
Postal_Code: 98661
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (206) 696-7695

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: kenmcgee@pwavan.wr.usgs.gov

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:

Indirect_Spatial_Reference:: Typically, three to six traverses were made underneath the plume to determine the SO2 burden (concentration x pathlength) within a cross-section of the plume. Knowing the burden along with the plume width and plume velocity (assumed to be the same as ambient wind speed), we could then calculate the emission rate of SO2.

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: Sulfur dioxide emission rate estimate
Entity_Type_Definition:: Typically, three to six traverses were made underneath the plume to determine the SO2 burden (concentration x pathlength) within a cross-section of the plume. Knowing the burden along with the plume width and plume velocity (assumed to be the same as ambient wind speed), we could then calculate the emission rate of SO2.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source:: The use of correlation spectroscopy for determining the sulfur dioxide output of volcanoes is well established and the technique has been discussed in detail by a number of investigators (Malinconico, 1979; Casadevall and others, 1981; Stoiber and others, 1983).

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Sulfur dioxide emission rate estimate

Attribute_Definition: Material flux in tonnes/day

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 3
Range_Domain_Maximum: no value exceeds 10000
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: tonnes/day
Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1

Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19800501

Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19880918

Attribute_Value_Accuracy_Information:

Attribute_Value_Accuracy: 0.17
Attribute_Value_Accuracy_Explanation:: Average ratio of standard deviation of the estimate to the value of the estimate. Standard deviations and the number of observations used to calculate the estimates are given along with the estimates.

Attribute_Measurement_Frequency: Irregular

Detailed_Description:

Entity_Type:

Entity_Type_Label: Carbon dioxide emission rate estimate
Entity_Type_Definition:: Carbon dioxide in the Mount St. Helens plume was measured by an infrared spectrometer tuned to the 4.26 um CO2 absorption band. An external sample tube was attached to the fuselage of a twin-engine aircraft to deliver outside air to the gas cell of the spectrometer. The aircraft was then flown at several different elevations through the plume at right angles to plume trajectory to define plume area and carbon dioxide concentration in a vertical cross- section of the plume. These two parameters along with the density of CO2 for the altitude of the plume and the plume velocity (assumed as above to be equal to ambient wind speed) were then used to calculate the CO2 emission rate (Harris and others, 1981).
Entity_Type_Definition_Source:: Harris, D.M., Sato, Motoaki, Casadevall, T.J., Rose, W.I. and Bornhorst, T.J., 1981, Emission rates of CO2 from plume measurements, in Lipman, P.W. and Mullineaux, D.L., eds., The 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1250, p. 201-207.

Attribute:

Attribute_Label: Carbon dioxide emission rate estimate

Attribute_Definition: Material flux in tonnes/day

Attribute_Definition_Source:

Attribute_Domain_Values:

Range_Domain:

Range_Domain_Minimum: 3, but no actual value is smaller than 262
Range_Domain_Maximum: no value exceeds 25000
Attribute_Units_of_Measure: tonnes/day
Attribute_Measurement_Resolution: 1

Beginning_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19800706

Ending_Date_of_Attribute_Values: 19810828

Attribute_Measurement_Frequency: Irregular

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: Peter N. Schweitzer

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing address
Address:: Mail Stop 918 National Center
U.S. Geological Survey
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
City: Reston
State_or_Province: VA
Postal_Code: 20192
Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: (703) 648-6533

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: (703) 648-6560

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: pschweitzer@usgs.gov

Resource_Description: USGS Open-File Report 94-212

Distribution_Liability:

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards (or with the North American Stratigraphic Code). Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Standard_Order_Process: