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
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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
ThesisRelated items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Satellite thermal remote sensing of the volcanoes of Alaska and Kamchatka during 1994-1996, and the 1994 eruption of Kliuchevskoi volcanoThe Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers on the NOAA polar orbiting satellites were used to routinely observe the volcanoes of Alaska and Kamchatka from May 1994 to July 1996, as part of the monitoring effort of the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The largest eruption observed during this period occurred at Kliuchevskoi Volcano between September 8 and October 2, 1994. Radiative temperature measurements made during this eruption were used to develop quantitative methods for analyzing volcanic thermal anomalies. Several parameters, including maximum temperature, anomalous pixels, and total volcanic signal (TVS), were compared to viewing angle and date. A new quantity, TVS7, may most effectively monitor the temporal evolution of the eruption using thermal data. By combining several observations of the thermal state of the volcano, the general nature of the volcanic activity can be described. These observations may indicate an elevation in temperature twelve to 24 hours before an ash-producing event.
-
Analysis and interpretation of volcano deformation in Alaska: Studies from Okmok and Mt. Veniaminof volcanoesFour studies focus on the deformation at Okmok Volcano, the Alaska Peninsula and Mt. Veniaminof. The main focus of the thesis is the volcano deformation at Okmok Volcano and Mt. Veniaminof, but also includes an investigation of the tectonic related compression of the Alaska Peninsula. The complete data set of GPS observations at Okmok Volcano are investigated with the Unscented Kalman Filter time series analysis method. The technique is shown to be useful for inverting geodetic data for time dependent non-linear model parameters. The GPS record at Okmok from 2000 to mid 2007 shows distinct inflation pulses which have several months duration. The inflation is interpreted as magma accumulation in a shallow reservoir under the caldera center and approximately 2.5km below sea level. The location determined for the magma reservoir agrees with estimates determined by other geodetic techniques. Smaller deflation signals in the Okmok record appear following the inflation pulses. A degassing model is proposed to explain the deflation. Petrologic observations from lava erupted in 1997 provide an estimate for the volatile content of the magma. The solution model VolatileCalc is used to determine the amount of volatiles in the gas phase. Degassing can explain the deflation, but only under certain circumstances. The magma chamber must have a radius between ~1and 2km and the intruding magma must have less than approximately 500ppm CO2. At Mt. Veniaminof the deformation signal is dominated by compression caused by the convergence of the Pacific and North American Plates. A subduction model is created to account for the site velocities. A network of GPS benchmarks along the Alaska Peninsula is used to infer the amount of coupling along the mega-thrust. A transition from high to low coupling near the Shumagin Islands has important implications for the seismogenic potential of this section of the fault. The Shumagin segment likely ruptures in more frequent smaller magnitude quakes. The tectonic study provides a useful backdrop to examine the volcano deformation at Mt. Veniaminof. After being corrected for tectonic motion the sites velocities indicate inflation at the volcano. The deformation is interpreted as pressurization occurring beneath the volcano associated with eruptive activity in 2005.
-
Mapping methods and observations of surficial snow/ice cover at Redoubt and Pavlof volcanoes, Alaska using optical satellite imageryAlaska is a natural laboratory for the study of how active volcanism interacts with underlying seasonal snow, perennial snow, and glacial ice cover. While over half of the historically active volcanoes in Alaska have some degree of perennial snow or glacial ice, all Alaskan volcanoes have a covering of seasonal snow for a period of time throughout the year. Previous research has centered on how volcanic deposits erode away the underlying snow/ice cover during an eruption, producing volcanic mudflows called lahars. Less emphasis has been placed on how variations in the snow/ice cover substrate effect the efficiency of meltwater generation during a volcanic eruption. Glacial ice, perennial snow, and seasonal snow can all contribute significantly to meltwater, and therefore the variations in the types of snow/ice cover present at Alaskan volcanoes must be analyzed. By examining the changing spatial extent of seasonal snow present at a volcano during multiple Alaskan summers, the approximate boundaries of perennial snow and ice can be mapped as the snow/ice cover consistently present at the end of each ablation season. In this study, two methods of snow/ice cover mapping for Redoubt and Pavlof volcanoes are analyzed for efficiency and accuracy. Identification of the best method allows for mapping of the snow/ice cover consistently present during each Alaskan summer month over at least two different years. These maps can serve as approximations for the snow/ice cover likely to be present at both volcanoes during each summer month. Volcanic deposits produced during the 2009 Redoubt and 2013 Pavlof eruptions are spatially linked to these snow/ice cover maps so that future research can focus on the interaction between deposits and type of snow/ice substrate. Additional observations and conclusions are made regarding how the visible snow/ice cover varies during and after each eruption.
