new views of the Tolbachik eruption
From: Michael Ramsey <mramsey@xxxxxxxx>
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The University of Pittsburgh has maintained a rapid response scheduling
system for the ASTER spaceborne sensor since 2004. The system relies on
thermal detections by the AVHRR sensor to trigger ASTER observations. It has
been primarily focused on the North Pacific region and has been a
collaborative effort between the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the University
of Alaska, the USGS, NASA, and the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
in Kamchatka. In the past year, the system has also been expanded globally
using the MODVOLC system (run by the University of Hawaii) to trigger ASTER.
The large eruption of Tolbachik on 29 November produced a massive thermal
anomaly in the AVHRR sensor and triggered ASTER observations. The first
ASTER daytime scene was acquired on 3 Dec (local time) with a nighttime
overpass scheduled for the following night. A preliminary analysis of the
daytime scene shows that the region was covered by thin cloud; however, the
lava flow is clearly seen in the TIR and VNIR images:
http://ivis.eps.pitt.edu/data/Kamchatka/Tolbachik_3Dec12-TIR.pdf
http://ivis.eps.pitt.edu/data/Kamchatka/Tolbachik_3Dec12-VNIR.pdf
The TIR data shows an anastomosing active lava flow that is 13.9km long,
flowing to the west, with maximum pixel-integrated (90 m/pixel) temperature
of 107 C. This is above the saturation temperature for the ASTER sensor and
is remarkable considering the cloud cover. The VNIR data also show easily
seen incandescence with pixel-integrated (15 m/pixel) temperatures of over
900C. Also seen in the TIR data is a cooling smaller flow to the south that
is 6.5 km long, as well as several even smaller lava breakouts from the main
active flow.
ASTER will continue to collect data of the Tolbachik eruption for the near
future and updates posted here.
Cheers,
Mike
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Professor Michael Ramsey, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Geology and Planetary Science
4107 O'Hara Street, room 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3332
412-624-8772 (office); 412-624-3914 (fax); 412-624-8773 (lab)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Professor Michael Ramsey, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Geology and Planetary Science
4107 O'Hara Street, room 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15260-3332
412-624-8772 (office); 412-624-3914 (fax); 412-624-8773 (lab)
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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