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An FTIR instrument is set up on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u to measure ...

Detailed Description

An FTIR instrument is set up on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u Crater to measure volcanic gases from the summit lava lake. The open-path Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer continuously measures the gases in a volcanic plume, measuring the relative abundance of each. Most of the gas emitted during a volcanic eruption is water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide(SO2).