Establishment of chemical equilibrium in the volcanic gas obtained from the lava lake of Kilauea,Hawaii

The establishment of gaseous chemical equilibrium in gases obtained from Kilauea lava lake was studied. Using Shepherd’s elaborate analytical data, we examined six chemical reactions in the gas phase and concluded that they were in equilibrium. The gases reflected the « quenched » equilibrium conditions of temperature within a range from 1,000° C to 1,200° C under 1 atmosphere. The gas samples had been collected over a period of three years in different localities of the same lava lake. Although the analytical result was varied considerably for each sample, the establishment of chemical equilibrium was confirmed in five of the six reactions, the exception being due to sulfur trioxide in the sixth.