Quantification of gas and solid emissions during Strombolian explosions using simultaneous sulphur dioxide and infrared camera observations

We present simultaneous measurements of gas and solid emissions from Strombolian explosions acquired on Stromboli volcano on 30 September 2012 using an SO2 camera and an infrared camera. We find no significant correlation between solid and gas masses, consistent with the postulated independence of the processes controlling bubble film rupture and gas slug mass, which determine emitted solid and gas masses respectively. Our observations demonstrate the utility of simultaneous multi-parametric imaging of volcanic events at different wavelengths to elucidate the relationships between disparate volcanic processes. We also further demonstrate the utility of the SO2 camera in quantifying explosion dynamics, and that by combining ultra violet camera images and spectral measurements we are able to image the spatial distribution of absorbance by SO2 in volcanic plumes and, crucially, to calibrate the images to total SO2 masses while compensating for light dilution effects. •We measured the mass of sulphur dioxide and solids emitted during Strombolian explosions.•Sulphur dioxide masses were measured using a spectrometer calibrated, two band, ultra violet camera.•Solid masses were recovered from high frequency thermal images using a particle tracking algorithm.•Solid and gas mass appear uncorrelated, implying their generative processes are independent.