In situ SO2 observations from Costa Rica of the Ruang and Turrialba volcanoes

The Ruang volcano erupted on April 16, 2024 and again on April 30, 2024. The second eruption led to a deployment to the Universidad de Costa Rica in San Jose for balloon-borne in situ measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ozone (O₃). SO₂ from the Ruang eruption plume was detected on May 20, 2024, at an altitude of 20.3 km above mean sea level. The in situ SO₂ measurements of the Ruang plume three weeks after the second eruption can potentially help improve satellite retrievals and help estimate the SO₂ lifetime. Measurements that week also showed SO₂ at the surface in San Jose as well as from the Turrialba volcano at ~3 km above mean sea level.