Initial constraints on triggering mechanisms of the eruption of Fuego volcano (Guatemala) from 3 June 2018 using IASI satellite data

On 3 June 2018 Volcán de Fuego (Guatemala) erupted explosively with unusual intensity, producing wide-spread ash dispersal and pyroclastic flows of >11 km length and which destroyed a community on Fuego's flanks, causing hundreds of fatalities. Here, we analyze satellite measurements of the SO2 plume emitted during the most intense eruptive phase. Key eruption parameters including the injection height and SO2 flux time-series indicate a degassing intensity at least three orders of magnitude above baseline levels. Our results suggest a steady ~2.5 hour climactic paroxysmal phase of the eruption with a mass eruption rate of ~1.4kg s−1 based on the combination of plume height estimates and an eruption column model, producing 0.03 ± 0.004 km3 of tephra. We detect at least 130 kt of emitted SO2 from satellite images, producing a minimum dissolved magmatic sulfur concentration of 500 ppm. Possible source mechanisms are discussed, which may be useful in assessing the risks posed by future large-magnitude eruptions to the large populations that live on Fuego's flanks. This study shows that even under challenging conditions of a tropical atmosphere during the rainy season, vital eruption parameters to constrain source mechanisms of eruptions can be retrieved from satellite remote sensing data.