Fire and ice: Discovering volcanic eruptions with ion chromatography

No two volcanic eruptions are the same. Depending the height of the eruption plume and the composition of the emissions, volcanic events can have varying effects on the climate.

Sulphur dioxide emitted during volcanic eruptions is oxidised into sulfuric acid aerosols. When this settles on polar ice sheers it preserves a record of eruptions via the continuous accumulation of snow. Thus, records of volcanic activity can be found by measuring the amount of sulphate in polar ice cores. A great way to determine sulphate, along with other major anions and cations in aqueous samples, is with ion chromatography (IC).

IC, with a dual channel system, allows the simultaneous measurement of cations and anions from the same sample. When dealing with critical samples and small volumes, this is a huge benefit for record keeping. Additionally with an automatic sample preparation, like Metrohm’s Inline Ultrafiltration or Inline Dilution, human error is eliminated.

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