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Pyroclastic sulphur eruption at Poás volcano, Costa Rica

Abstract

The recent Voyager missions to Jupiter have highlighted the role of sulphur in volcanic processes on Io1–7. Although fumarolic sulphur and SO2 gas are almost universal in terrestrial active volcanoes, and rare instances of sulphur lava flows have been reported8,9, sulphur in a pyroclastic form has only been described from Poás volcano, Costa Rica10. Here we amplify the original descriptions by Bennett and Raccichini10 and describe a recent eruption of pyroclastic sulphur scoria and ejected blocks that are characterised by miniature sulphur stalactites and stalagmites.

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Francis, P., Thorpe, R., Brown, G. et al. Pyroclastic sulphur eruption at Poás volcano, Costa Rica. Nature 283, 754–756 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283754a0

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