Classification of lava lakes based on their heat and SO2 emission: Implications for their formation and feeding processes

Lava lakes are a fascinating but somewhat rare form of volcanic activity. large free surfaces hot lava that discharge continuously, and almost quietly, heat gases into the atmosphere. They thought to be fed by convection processes bring gas-rich magma surface back downward, after its cooling outgassing. A lake represents latent threat for populations living nearby, as it can drain suddenly through fissures generate dangerously fast flows. We present time series Volcanic Radiative Power (VRP) SO 2 flux measured from satellites (MODIS OMI, respectively) several on Earth (Erta Ale, Nyiragongo, Kilauea, Nyamuragira, Ambrym, Villarrica). Based long-term trends plotted in simple VRP versus diagram, we propose new classification three categories: small lakes, foam-dominated melt-dominated lakes. Small show correlation between emissions, while seem an anticorrelation emissions. This at-first-glance surprising probably results limited transport capacity foam initially feeds these also formation last decades at rift hotspot volcanoes followed similar trend transitioning, few months, melt-dominated. deduce follows common sequence includes shallow reservoir outgassing newly formed pit crater.