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Marked increases of CO 2 , H 2 and He dissolved in thermal waters and changes in the dissolved carbon isotopic composition, were observed at Stromboli before the 28 December 2002 eruption and before a violent explosive paroxysm occurred on 5 April 2003. High anomalous CO 2 flux values were recorded at the crater rim since a week before the eruption onset. The first anomalies in the thermal waters (dissolved CO 2 amount) appeared some months before the eruption, when magma column rose at a very high level in the conduit. High peaks of dissolved H 2 and He were recorded a few days before the paroxysm. Carbon isotopic composition indicates a magmatic origin of the dissolved CO 2 whose increase, together with those of H 2 and He, is attributed to an increasing output of deep gases likely produced by depressurization of a rising batch of a deep gas‐rich magma, whose fragments have been emitted during the explosion.

Radon and thoron emissions from lithophysae‐rich tuff under increasing deformation are measured to determine how mechanical damage affects gas emission levels in tuffs. Mechanical properties of rocks under stresses should be carefully considered to properly interpret data from geochemical field monitoring. Two samples are uniaxially loaded up to failure, while two others are unloaded at the end of the elastic phase, in order to achieve the highest compaction of existing pores. Changes in the porosity of deformed samples are evidenced by helium pycnometer and microscopy analyses. Radon and thoron exhalation rates are measured on groups of two samples by alpha spectrometer technique. Results show that tuff samples are characterised by a dual porosity consisting of a macroporosity, given by isolated large pores with sizes from mm‐ up to cm‐scale and a microporosity ranging between microns to hundreds of microns. At the end of the elastic phase pervasive pore collapse is observed, due to the closure of the cm‐scale macropores. This is mirrored by a significant decrease of radon and thoron release. After failure, a further reduction of porosity in the rock adjacent to the fault planes is observed due to extensive closure of both macropores and micropores. At this stage radon and thoron emissions increase. The formation of new exhaling surfaces is the main carrier of the bulk increase of radon and thoron exhalations, strongly prevailing over the densification carried out from the compaction mechanisms. In terms of volcanic hazard, negative anomalies in radon emissions should be considered as indicators of forthcoming ruptures. Key words: radon and thoron exhalation, tuff deformation, seismic precursor.

Abstract Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are hot flowing mixtures of gas and pyroclasts that can cause widespread loss of life and structural damage around the erupting volcano. Hazard assessments that include quantification of aleatory and epistemic uncertainty are a necessary step toward calculating volcanic risk of PDCs in an accurate and complete manner. We develop a three‐stage procedure to quantify such uncertainties for dense PDCs. First, the TITAN2D model is parameterized to simulate the PDC phenomenology at the target volcano. Second, TITAN2D is coupled with Polynomial Chaos Quadrature to propagate aleatory uncertainty from model parameters to hazard intensity measures (flow depth and speed). Third, the TITAN2D‐PCQ analysis is merged with the Bayesian Event Tree for Volcanic Hazard to include other volcano‐specific aleatory uncertainty and estimates of epistemic uncertainty. A comprehensive collection of probabilistic hazard curves and maps for flow depth and speed around the volcano is obtained through this methodology and its application is illustrated at Somma‐Vesuvius (Italy). Our results indicate that, given an eruption from the current central crater, exceedance probabilities are around 30% (aleatory uncertainty only) and between 10% and 60% (aleatory and epistemic uncertainty), for flow depth = 1 m and flow speed = 2 m/s, over the first 2–3 km around the vent. Dense PDCs faster than 30 m/s may cover areas about 50 km 2 around the vent, on average, 1 every 10 eruptions. This type of probabilistic hazard assessment represents a crucial step toward quantitative volcanic risk of dense PDCs at Somma‐Vesuvius and worldwide.

Abstract A new period of eruptive activity started at Turrialba volcano, Costa Rica, in 2010 after almost 150 years of quiescence. This activity has been characterized by sporadic explosions whose frequency clearly increased since October 2014. This study aimed to identify the mechanisms that triggered the resumption of this eruptive activity and characterize the evolution of the phenomena over the past 2 years. We integrate 3 He/ 4 He data available on fumarole gases collected in the summit area of Turrialba between 1999 and 2011 with new measurements made on samples collected between September 2014 and February 2016. The results of a petrological investigation of the products that erupted between October 2014 and May 2015 are also presented. We infer that the resumption of eruptive activity in 2010 was triggered by a replenishment of the plumbing system of Turrialba by a new batch of magma. This is supported by the increase in 3 He/ 4 He values observed since 2005 at the crater fumaroles and by comparable high values in September 2014, just before the onset of the new eruptive phase. The presence of a number of fresh and juvenile glassy shards in the erupted products increased between October 2014 and May 2015, suggesting the involvement of new magma with a composition similar to that erupted in 1864–1866. We conclude that the increase in 3 He/ 4 He at the summit fumaroles since October 2015 represents strong evidence of a new phase of magma replenishment, which implies that the level of activity remains high at the volcano.