H2S fluxes from Mt. Etna, Stromboli, and Vulcano (Italy) and implications for the sulfur budget at volcanoes

Abstract We present here new measurements of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide emissions from Vulcano, Etna, and Stromboli (Italy), made by direct sampling at vents and by filter pack and ultraviolet spectroscopy in downwind plumes. Measurements at the F0 and FA fumaroles on Vulcano yielded SO 2 /H 2 S molar ratios of ≈0.38 and ≈1.4, respectively, from which we estimate an H 2 S flux of 6 to 9 t · d −1 for the summit crater. For Mt. Etna and Stromboli, we found SO 2 /H 2 S molar ratios of ≈20 and ≈15, respectively, which combined with SO 2 flux measurements, suggest H 2 S emission rates of 50 to 113 t · d −1 and 4 to 8 t · d −1 , respectively. We observe that “source” and plume SO 2 /H 2 S ratios at Vulcano are similar, suggesting that hydrogen sulfide is essentially inert on timescales of seconds to minutes. This finding has important implications for estimates of volcanic total sulfur budget at volcanoes since most existing measurements do not account for H 2 S emission.