September 20, 2024 — Measuring gas emissions from Kīlauea eruption

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientists measured the composition of gases being emitted by Kīlauea during the waning phase of the middle East Rift Zone eruption on September 20, 2024. They used a FTIR spectrometer, which measures how the plume of gases being emitted at the eruption site absorbs infrared energy. The plume being generated by the ongoing eruption is sulfur-dioxide (SO2) rich, but also contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and halogen gases such as HCl and HF. USGS photo by P. Nadeau.