Publication Date:
2023-03-20
Description:
During the extended activity of Mount Etna volcano in February–April 2021, three distinct
paroxysmal events took place from February 21 to 26, which were associated with a very uncommon transport
of the injected upper-tropospheric plumes toward the north. Using a synergy of observations and modeling,
we characterized the emissions and three-dimensional dispersion for these three plumes, monitored their
downwind distribution and optical properties, and estimated their radiative impacts at selected locations. With
a satellite-based source inversion, we estimate the emitted sulfur dioxide (SO2) mass at an integrated value of
55 kt and plumes injections at up to 12 km altitudes, which qualifies this series as an extreme event for Mount
Etna. Then, we combine Lagrangian dispersion modeling, initialized with measured temporally resolved
SO2 emission fluxes and altitudes, with satellite observations to track the dispersion of the three individual
plumes. The transport toward the north allowed the height-resolved downwind monitoring of the plumes
at selected observatories in France, Italy, and Israel, using LiDARs and photometric aerosol observations.
Volcanic-specific aerosol optical depths (AODs) in the visible spectral range ranging from about 0.004 to 0.03
and local daily average shortwave radiative forcing (RF) ranging from about −0.2 to −1.2 W m −2 (at the top of
atmosphere) and from about −0.2 to −3.0 W m −2 (at the surface) are found. The composition (possible presence
of ash), AOD, and RF of the plume have a large inter-plume and intra-plume variability and thus depend
strongly on the position of the sampled section of the plumes.
Description:
Published
Description:
e2021JD035974
Description:
7A. Geofisica per il monitoraggio ambientale
Description:
JCR Journal
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
article
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