Wilkes, T.C., Pering, T.D., McGonigle, A.J.S. et al. (6 more authors) (2019) The PiSpec: A low-cost, 3D-printed spectrometer for measuring volcanic SO2 emission rates. Frontiers in Earth Science, 7. 65. ISSN 2296-6463
Abstract
Spectroscopy has been used to quantify volcanic gas emission rates, most commonly SO2, for a number of decades. Typically, commercial spectrometers costing 1000s USD are employed for this purpose. The PiSpec is a new, custom-designed, 3D-printed spectrometer based on smartphone sensor technology. This unit has ≈1 nm spectral resolution and a spectral range in the ultraviolet of ≈280–340 nm, and is specifically configured for the remote sensing of SO2 using Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS). Here we report on the first field deployment of the PiSpec on a volcano, to demonstrate the proof of concept of the device’s functionality in this application area. The study was performed on Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua, which is one of the largest emitters of SO2 on the planet, during a period of elevated activity where a lava lake was present in the crater. Both scans and traverses were performed, with resulting emission rates ranging from 3.2 to 45.6 kg s−1 across two measurement days; these values are commensurate with those reported elsewhere in the literature during this activity phase (Aiuppa et al., 2018; Stix et al., 2018). Furthermore, we tested the PiSpec’s thermal stability, finding a wavelength shift of 0.046 nm/∘C between 2.5 and 45∘C, which is very similar to that of some commercial spectrometers. Given the low build cost of these units (≈500 USD for a one-off build, with prospects for further price reduction with volume manufacture), we suggest these units hold considerable potential for volcano monitoring operations in resource limited environments.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 Wilkes, Pering, McGonigle, Willmott, Bryant, Smalley, Mims, Parisi and England. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. |
Keywords: | UV spectroscopy; DOAS; sulfur dioxide; volcanic emissions; Masaya volcano; smartphone sensor; Raspberry Pi; 3D printing |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Geography (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 29 Apr 2019 11:41 |
Last Modified: | 29 Apr 2019 11:41 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Frontiers Media |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3389/feart.2019.00065 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:145104 |