Temperatures, thermal fluxes and effusion rates associated with the growth of Bezymianny Volcano using spaceborne thermal infrared data

Abstract

Bezymianny Volcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia erupts one to two times annually. Often the eruption pattern follows the same cyclic process from slow growth to dome failure and collapse. These dome processes were analyzed during the Fall 2000 eruption using A VHRR, MODIS, ASTER and Landsat ETM + satellite data and field measurements using a Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer (FLIR). These data have a range of resolutions which provide different levels of information which are compared in this thesis. The satellite data showed an increase in thermal flux up to the collapse of the dome and then a sharp decrease there after. Four phases of activity were identified during the Fall 2000 eruption period; precursory, low-level eruption, explosive eruption and the end of the eruption based on temperatures, thermal fluxes, effusion rates, visual and seismic observations. Integrating these different data sets and measurements provided a useful tool to predict future explosive eruption at Bezymianny Volcano. A comparison of thermal data between sensors with variable resolutions allows a better understanding of volcanic processes at lava domes which improves volcano monitoring and eruption predictions.