How the variety of satellite remote sensing data over remote volcanoes
can assist hazard monitoring efforts
Abstract
Satellite remote sensing is becoming an increasingly essential component
of volcano monitoring, especially at little-known and remote volcanoes
where in-situ measurements are unavailable and/or impractical. Moreover
the synoptic view captured by satellite imagery over volcanoes can
benefit hazard monitoring efforts. By monitoring, we mean both following
the changing styles and intensities of the eruption once it has started,
as well as nowcasting and eventually forecasting the areas potentially
threatened by hazardous phenomena in an eruptive scenario. Here we
demonstrate how the diversity of remote sensing data over volcanoes and
the mutual interconnection between satellite observations and numerical
simulations can improve lava flow hazard monitoring in response to
effusive eruption. Time-averaged discharge rates (TADRs) obtained from
low spatial/high temporal resolution satellite data (e.g. MODIS, SEVIRI)
are complemented, compared and fine-tuned with detailed maps of volcanic
deposits with the aim of constraining the conversion from
satellite-derived radiant heat flux to TADR. Maps of volcanic deposits
include the time-varying evolution of lava flow emplacement derived from
multispectral satellite data (e.g. EO-ALI, Landsat, Sentinel-2, ASTER),
as well as the flow thickness variations, retrieved from the topographic
monitoring by using stereo or tri-stereo optical data (e.g. Pléiades,
PlanetScope, ASTER). Finally, satellite-derived parameters are used as
input and validation tags for the numerical modelling of lava flow
scenarios. Here we show how our strategy was successfully applied to
several remote volcanoes around the world.