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Science 20 February 1981:
Vol. 211. no. 4484, pp. 821 - 823
DOI: 10.1126/science.211.4484.821
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Articles

Gaseous Constituents in the Plume from Eruptions of Mount St. Helens

EDWARD C. Y. INN 1, JAMES F. VEDDER 1, ESTELLE P. CONDON 1, and DEAN O'HARA 2

1 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035
2 LFE Corporation, Richmond, California 94804

Measurements in the stratosphere of gaseous constituents in the plume of Mount St. Helens were obtained during five flights of the NASA U-2 aircraft between 19 May and 17 June 1980. Mixing ratios from gas chromatographic measurements on samples acquired about 24 hours after the initial eruption show considerable enhancement over nonvolcanic concentrations for sulfur dioxide (more than 1000 times), methyl chloride (about 10 times), and carbon disulfide (more than 3 times). The mixing ratio of carbonyl sulfide was comparable to nonvolcanic mixing ratios although 3 days later it was enhanced two to three times. Ion chromatography measurements on water-soluble constituents are also reported. Very large concentrations of chloride, nitrate, and sulfate ions were measured, implying large mixing ratios for the water-soluble gaseous constituents from which the anions are derived. Measurements of radon-222 present in the plume are also reported.

Submitted on September 18, 1980
Revised on December 8, 1980


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Mercury Content of Equisetum Plants Around Mount St. Helens One Year After the Major Eruption.
B. Z. Siegel, B. Z. SIEGEL, and S. M. SIEGEL (1982)
Science 216, 292-293
   Abstract »    PDF »
Measurements of the Volcanic Plumes of Mount St. Helens in the Stratosphere and Troposphere: Introduction.
J. B. Pollack and J. B. POLLACK (1981)
Science 211, 815-816
   PDF »
Characterization of Aerosols from Eruptions of Mount St. Helens.
R. L. Chuan, R. L. CHUAN, D. C. WOODS, and M. P. MCCORMICK (1981)
Science 211, 830-832
   Abstract »    PDF »


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