New Volcanica Publication by Dr TiVonne Howe on La Soufrière, St Vincent
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory is pleased to celebrate the publication of a new research article by Dr TiVonne Howe, marking the second paper to emerge from her PhD research on Lesser Antilles arc volcanoes.
The article, published in the open-access journal Volcanica, is titled:
“Volatile emissions and magma storage conditions for the 2021 explosive eruption at La Soufrière volcano, St Vincent, from melt inclusions.”
The paper was authored by TiVonne Howe, Thomas E. Christopher, Séverine Moune, Hugh Tuffen, Paul D. Cole and Federica Schiavi.
This study focuses on melt inclusions from the 2021 explosive eruption of La Soufrière volcano, St Vincent, and represents the most comprehensive volatile study conducted at this volcano to date. Melt inclusions are tiny pockets of melt trapped within crystals, preserving valuable information about the magma before eruption.
By analysing these melt inclusions, the research team was able to investigate key features of the magmatic system, including magma storage pressures, temperatures, and the behaviour of sulphur. The study also quantified La Soufrière’s volatile emissions, including H₂O, CO₂, SO₂ and HCl, contributing important data to global volcanic gas budgets.
The findings improve scientific understanding of the processes that occurred before and during the 2021 explosive eruption and add to broader knowledge of volcanic systems across the Lesser Antilles. This work is especially important for regional volcano monitoring, hazard assessment and understanding the behaviour of island arc volcanoes.
MVO extends warm congratulations to Dr Howe and her co-authors on this important contribution to Caribbean volcanology and international volcanic research.
