A multi-sensor approach to determining volcanic plume heights in the North Pacific
Keyword
Volcanic plumesNorth Pacific Region
Redoubt Volcano (Alaska)
Augustine Volcano (Alaska)
Okmok, Mount (Alaska)
Eruption, 2009
Eruption, 2006
Eruption, 2008
Cleveland, Mount (Volcano : Alaska)
Kasatochi Volcano (Alaska)Sarychev Volcano (Russia)Volcanic eruptionsAlaska
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During a volcanic eruption, accurate height information is necessary to forecast a volcanic plume's trajectory with volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) models. Recent events in the North Pacific (NOPAC) displayed significant discrepancies between different methods of plume height determination. This thesis describes two studies that attempted to resolve this discrepancy, and identify the most accurate method for plume height determination. The first study considered the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano. This study found that the basic satellite temperature method, in which satellite thermal infrared temperatures are compared to temperature-altitude profiles, vastly underestimates volcanic plume height due to decreased optical depth of plumes soon after eruption. This study also found that the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) produced very accurate plume heights, even for optically thin plumes. The second study investigated the application of MISR data to multiple eruptions in the NOPAC: Augustine Volcano in 2006, Okmok, Cleveland, and Kasatochi volcanoes in 2008, and Redoubt and Sarychev Peak volcanoes in 2009. This study found that MISR data analysis retrieves accurate plume heights regardless of grain size, altitude, or water content. Exceptions include plumes of low optical depth over bright backgrounds. MISR is also capable of identifying ash clouds by aerosol type.Description
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2012Date
2012-05Type
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