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Observations of volcanic emissions from space: current and future perspectives

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Abstract

Volcanoes worldwide pose a major threat to humans at both local and global scales. The effective monitoring of volcanoes is essential to manage and reduce risk associated with the threat that they pose. The measurement of volcanic cloud composition can provide important clues to the underlying volcanic processes and can be indicative of impending eruption. Hazards posed by plumes to humans and animals are significant, as well as the potential climatic impacts and the threat to aircraft by the ingestion of volcanic ash all justify careful monitoring. Recent advances in instrument technology have allowed for high resolution monitoring of volcanic clouds from satellite-based instruments. There exists a suite of instruments with varying spatial, spectral and temporal resolutions, which when used in conjunction can provide detailed information about cloud properties. Such instruments have the capability to quantify sulphur dioxide, ash and aerosol content as well as the spatial and vertical distribution of species. Here we present an overview of the range of instruments useful for such monitoring, outline their functionality and describe the potential of future missions.

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Abbreviations

ACE:

Aerosol/Cloud/Ecosystems mission

ADEOS:

Advanced earth observation satellite

AIRS:

Atmospheric infrared sounder

AMF:

Air mass factor

ASCENDS:

Active sensing of CO2 emissions over nights, days and seasons

ASTER:

Advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer

ATMS:

Advanced technology microwave sounder

AVHRR:

Advanced very high resolution radiometer

BRD:

Band residual difference

BrO:

Chemical symbol for bromine monoxide

BUV:

Backscattered ultraviolet

CALIOP:

Cloud-aerosol light detection and ranging (LIDAR)

CERES:

Cloud and earth radiant energy system

CLARREO:

Climate absolute radiance and refractivity observatory

CrIS:

Cross-track infrared sounder

CrIMSS:

CrIS and ATMS

CO2 :

Chemical symbol for carbon dioxide

DOAS:

Differential optical absorption spectroscopy

ENVISAT:

Environmental satellite

EP:

Earth probe

ESA:

European space agency

EOS:

Earth observing system

GACM:

Global atmospheric composition mission

GEO-CAPE:

Geostationary coastal and air pollution events

GOES:

Geostationary operational environmental satellite

GOME:

Global ozone monitoring experiment

H2O:

Chemical symbol for water

H2CO:

Chemical symbol for formaldehyde

H2SO4 :

Chemical symbol for sulphuric acid

HCL:

Chemical symbol for hydrogen chloride

HF:

Chemical symbol for hydrogen fluoride

HIRS:

High resolution infrared radiation sounder

HyspIRI:

Hyperspectral infrared imager

IASI:

Infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer

IR:

Infrared

LEO:

Low earth orbit

LF:

Linear fit

LIDAR:

Light detection and ranging

LOWTRAN:

Low resolution atmospheric transmission

MetOp:

Meteorological operational satellite

MIS:

Microwave imager/sounder

MLS:

Microwave limb sounder

MODIS:

Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer

MODTRAN:

Moderate resolution atmospheric transmission

MSG:

Meteosat second generation

MSU:

Microwave sounding unit

MTSAT:

Multifunctional transport satellite

NASA:

National aeronautics and space administration

NO2 :

Chemical symbol for nitrogen dioxide

NOAA:

National oceanic and atmospheric administration

NOPAC:

North Pacific

NPOESS:

National polar-orbiting operational environmental satellite system

OMI:

Ozone monitoring instrument

OMPS:

Ozone mapping and profiler suite

PARASOL:

Polarization and anisotropy of reflectances for atmospheric sciences coupled with observations from a LIDAR

PREMIER:

Process exploration through measurements of infrared and millimetre-wave emitted radiation

RAT:

Robust AVHRR technique

SBUV:

Solar backscattered ultraviolet

SCIAMACHY:

Scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric chartography

SEVIRI:

Spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager

SSO:

Sun-synchronous orbit

SWIR:

Shortwave infrared

TES:

Tropospheric emission spectrometer

TIMS:

Thermal infrared multispectral scanner

TIR:

Thermal infrared

TIROS:

Television infrared observation satellites

TOMS:

Total ozone mapping spectrometer

TOVS:

TIROS operational vertical sounder

UV:

Ultraviolet

VAACs:

Volcanic ash advisory centres

VIIRS:

Visible/infrared imager/radiometer suite

VNIR:

Visible/near infrared

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge an anonymous reviewer, M. Ramsey and P. Webley for their extremely thorough reviews and S. Murray for proof-reading, all of which have significantly improved this manuscript. The funding for the project was provided by NASA grant NNX08AF80G.

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  1. Department of Geological & Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, 630 Dow Environmental Science and Engineering Building, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931-1295, USA

    H. E. Thomas & I. M. Watson

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK

    I. M. Watson

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  1. H. E. Thomas
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Thomas, H.E., Watson, I.M. Observations of volcanic emissions from space: current and future perspectives. Nat Hazards 54, 323–354 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-009-9471-3

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