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UP: Fachverband Umweltphysik

UP 2: Volcanic Effects on Atmosphere and Climate

UP 2.3: Talk

Wednesday, March 22, 2023, 11:45–12:00, MOL/0213

A miniaturized chemiluminescence ozone monitor for drone-based measurements in volcanic plumes — •Maja Rüth¹, Ellen Bräutigam¹, Jonas Kuhn¹, Nicole Bobrowski¹, Ulrich Platt¹, and Christopher Fuchs² — ¹Institute for Environmental Physics, Heidelberg University, Germany — ²ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Volcanic plumes contain reactive halogen species, especially bromine monoxide (BrO), which catalyzes ozone (O3) destruction. Therefore, local O3 depletion is commonly assumed inside volcanic plumes and has also been measured to varying degrees at different volcanoes in several studies. However, a calculation comparing atmospheric mixing with the rate of O3 destruction suggests no significant reactive halogen catalysed O3-loss (1% or less) in the plume. So far, O3 and its distribution in volcanic plumes have only been insufficiently determined since commonly used ultraviolet (UV) absorption O3 monitors show interference with sulphur dioxide (SO2), an abundant volcanic gas.

This problem can be overcome by using a chemiluminescence (CL) O3 monitor, which has no known interference from trace gases abundant in volcanic plumes. However, field measurements with former CL O3 monitors are challenging, as they were heavy and bulky.

Here we report on a lightweight version of the instrument (1 kg, shoebox size), which can be mounted onto a drone. In particular, we describe the design advances making the reduction in weight and size possible and present first test measurements. By allowing the instrument to be carried by a drone into the plume, this opens up completely new measurement strategies.