Volcanic ash leaching as a means of tracing the environmental impact of the 2011 Grímsvötn eruption, Iceland
The Grímsvötn volcanic eruption, from 21 to 28 May, 2011, was the largest eruption of the Grímsvötn Volcanic System since 1873, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of magnitude 4. The main geochemical features of the potential environmental impact of the volcanic ash-water interaction were deter...
| Published in: | Environmental Science and Pollution Research |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/130938 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6559-7 https://doi.org/10.13039/501100003329 |
| Summary: | The Grímsvötn volcanic eruption, from 21 to 28 May, 2011, was the largest eruption of the Grímsvötn Volcanic System since 1873, with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of magnitude 4. The main geochemical features of the potential environmental impact of the volcanic ash-water interaction were determined using two different leaching methods as proxies (batch and vertical flow-through column experiments). Ash consists of glass with minor amounts of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, diopside, olivine and iron sulphide; this latter mineral phase is very rare in juvenile ash. Ash grain morphology and size reflect the intense interaction of magma and water during eruption. Batch and column leaching tests in deionised water indicate that Na, K, Ca, Mg, Si, Cl, S and F had the highest potential geochemical fluxes to the environment. Release of various elements from volcanic ash took place immediately through dissolution of soluble salts from the ash surface. Element solubilities of Grímsvötn ash regarding bulk ash composition were <1 %. Combining the element solubilities and the total estimated mass of tephra (7.29 × 1014 g), the total inputs of environmentally important elements were estimated to be 8.91 × 109 g Ca, 7.02 × 109 g S, 1.10 × 109 g Cl, 9.91 × 108 g Mg, 9.91 × 108 g Fe and 1.45 × 108 g P The potential environmental problems were mainly associated with the release of F (5.19 × 109 g) We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of ICTJA-CSIC labGEOTOP (infrastructure co-funded by ERDF-EU Ref. CSIC08-4E-001) and DRX (infrastructure co-funded by ERDF-EU Ref. CSIC10-4E-141) Surveys (J. Ibañez, J. Elvira and S. Alvarez) and the CCiTUB (SEM Unit) in the analytical work. Financial support was provided by the QUECA Project (MINECO, CGL2011-23307). We appreciate the invaluable comments of Dr. N. Olgun on a previous version of the manuscript. This study was carried out in the framework of the Research Consolidated Groups GEOPAM (Generalitat de Catalunya, 2014 SGR 869) and GEOVOL and the Associated Unit CSIC-UB UAGEPE (UA ... |
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