Recent analyses of gases collected on Terceira Island by the Institute for Volcanology and Risk Assessment (IVAR) at the University of the Azores have not revealed any significant anomalies. These tests are being conducted due to recent earthquake activity on Terceira Island.

“In terms of gas geochemistry, to date, with the analyses carried out and the gas collected this week, we have not seen any significant changes in this component,” said Fátima Viveiros, director of IVAR and coordinator of the institute’s Scientific Unit for Gas Geochemistry, yesterday.

Last week, the alert level for the Santa Bárbara volcano rose again to V3 (volcanic system in the reactivation phase), similar to what had happened in the summer of 2024.

This week, IVAR researchers were in Terceira collecting gas samples from the fumaroles of Furnas do Enxofre, which were analyzed until yesterday in São Miguel, and “showed no significant changes.”

“These are more complex analyses because we analyze various types of gases, not only carbon dioxide, water vapor, and sulfur, but also other gases such as nitrogen, argon, and helium, which give us a more complete picture of what may be happening at depth, at least with regard to volcanic gases in that area,” explained Fátima Viveiros.

Gases released from the ground, ground temperature, and gas concentration in the atmospheric air were also measured in some predefined areas and others identified by Civil Protection.

The measurements took place at Lagoa do Negro, on some trails in the parish of Biscoitos, and at predefined points around the Santa Bárbara volcano and in the caldera, which have been monitored since 2022.

“We wanted to repeat some of these points and some measurements in the air, because we always receive information from Civil Protection, from some people who report certain smells, which are sometimes confused with other things,” revealed the volcanologist.

In this case too, the measurements of gases and soil temperature did not detect “any anomalies considered significant.”

The results will now be sent to the IVAR Crisis Office and the Azores Seismic-Volcanic Information and Surveillance Center (CIVISA), which assesses the volcano’s alert level.

The director of IVAR pointed out that the definition of the alert level is not based on a single piece of data, but on a combination of seismological, crustal deformation, and geochemical parameters, and in this case, there are no anomalies to report for now.

“From a practical point of view, this data has not changed the scenario we had on the table, in terms of gas geochemistry, at least so far,” she reiterated.

IVAR has four permanent stations installed on Terceira Island: two in Furnas do Enxofre, one near Pico Gaspar, and one in the crater of the Santa Bárbara volcano.

“These stations are constantly measuring, and the data is sent to the University of the Azores every hour. If there is any change in the data collected daily, that information is transmitted,” she pointed out.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.