Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory: A Pilot Study for Seismic, Gas and Robotics Surveillance

埃里巴斯火山是南极洲最活跃的火山，本世纪以来一直处于持续喷发状态。这座火山的独特之处在于，它含有一个持续对流的熔岩湖，由高碱性斜长石响岩岩浆组成。来自熔岩湖和邻近喷口的喷发活动包括小规模的斯特龙博勒喷发，偶尔会将火山弹喷射到500米以上的高度。最近的研究还表明，埃里伯斯山是原始南极大气的一个重要气溶胶来源。Erebus很可能为落在东南极冰盖上的雪贡献了大量的氯、氟和其他微量成分。这对化学家来说有着重要的影响，他们正试图从冰雪核心分析中破译古环境。该奖项支持在麦克默多站建立埃里伯斯山火山观测站，以便继续对埃里伯斯山进行监视。这将极大地有助于理解“开放喷口”火山的脱气行为。如果要全面了解这座独特的火山及其磁系统的脱气和喷发行为，1983年至1991年在埃里巴斯火山进行的二氧化硫排放测量是长期以来任何火山中最广泛和最详细的测量之一。

Mount Erebus is the most active volcano in Antarctica having been in a continuous eruptive state throughout this century. The volcano is unique in containing a persistent convecting lava lake composed of highly alkalic anorthoclase phonolite magma. Eruptive activity from the lava lake and adjacent vents has consisted of minor strombolian eruptions which occasionally eject volcanic bombs to heights of over 500 meters. Recent work has also shown Mount Erebus to be an important source of aerosols to the pristine Antarctic atmosphere. It is likely that Erebus contributes significant quantities of Chlorine, Fluorine and other trace components to the snow falling on the East Antarctic ice sheet. This has important consequences to chemists who are trying to decipher paleoenvironments from snow and ice core analyses. This award supports the establishment of the Mount Erebus Volcano Observatory at McMurdo Station to allow continued surveillance of Mount Erebus. This will contribute greatly of an understanding of the degassing behavior of an "open vent" volcano. Measurements of Sulfur Dioxide emissions made at Mount Erebus between 1983 and 1991 are amongst the most extensive and detailed made at any volcano in long periods if a complete understanding of the degassing and eruptive behavior of this unique volcano and its magnetic system is going to be obtained.