Monitoring Gas Emissions from Kilauea Volcano

Sulfur dioxide gas emissions from the crater of Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō on Kīlauea’s east rift zone and the vent within Halema‘uma‘u Crater at Kīlauea’s summit create volcanic pollution that affects the air quality of downwind communities.  Here, a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas geochemist measures Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō gas emissions using an instrument that detects gas compositions on the basis of absorbed infrared light.