Monitoring of volcanic SO2 emissions using the GOME-2 satellite instrument

USEReST Workshop 2008Naples, November 12th, 2008

M. Rix, P. Valks, N. Hao, T. Erbertseder, J. van Geffen, C. Maerker, K. Seidenberger

Overview

Introduction

The GOME-2 instrument

Examples of volcanic eruptions and degassingEtna, Italy, May 2008

Okmok, Alaska, July 2008

Papua New Guinea, 2008

Data application in volcanic early warning services

Summary & Outlook

Etna eruption seen from ISS, 2002 © NASA

Introduction

Ground based monitoring only for limited number of volcanoes

Space based atmospheric sensors (GOME, GOME-2, SCIAMACHY, OMI) make it possible to monitor volcanic activity on a global scale

Changes in volcanic SO2 flux can be indicator for volcanic unrest

Monitoring on a daily basis

Information about remote locations

Near-real time information can be used for early warning services

Exupéry

GlobVolcano

Promote/ SACS

The GOME-2 instrument

GOME-2/MetOp-A is part of EUMETSAT Polar System (EPS)

MetOp-A launched: 19 Oct. 2006, Operational: 15 May 2007

GOME-2 level-1 product: March, 2007

GOME-2 spatial/temporal coverage

Orbit: sun-synchronous, 09:30h

(descending node)

Spatial resolution: 80x40 km2

Global coverage in 1 ½ days

GOME-2 spectral coverage

Wavelength: 240 – 790 nm

Resolution: 0.5 nm

© ESA-AOES Medialab

GOME-2 SO2 column product

GOME-2 SO2 columns produced by DLR in near-real time (Operational product)

Within the framework of EUMETSAT's Ozone and Atmospheric Chemistry Monitoring SAF (O3M-SAF)

SO2 retrieval with Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS)

Retrieval in UV-Wavelength Region (315 – 326 nm), good sensitivity to SO2 in lower atmosphere (volcanic degassing)

Daily volcanic activity maps

wdc.dlr.de/sensors/gome2

GOME-2 Volcanic Sulfur Dioxide

Etna Eruption May 10th, 2008

Transport of SO2 cloud from Etna, 11th – 13th May, 2008

Etna Eruption May 10th, 2008 (Trajectory matching)

Trajectory matching to determine source and height of the detected SO2

“Trajectory matching and dispersion modelling of volcanic plumes utilizing space-based SO2 observations”, C. Maerker (Poster)

Etna Eruption May 13th, 2008

SO2 cloud from Etna Erutpion detected by GOME-2 on May 14th , 2008

Etna Eruption detected by Meteosat-9 on May

13th, 2008

Okmok Eruption, 12th July 2008

© Alaska Airline, Kelly Reeves

SO2 cloud, July 12th – 14th, 2008

Aerosol IndexJuly 12th – 13th, 2008

Okmok Eruption, 13th July 2008

© Alaska Airline, Kelly Reeves

MODISAVHRR

GOME-2

Trajectory matching

Volcanic Degassing (Papua New Guinea/ Vanuatu)Rabaul

Bagana

Ambrym © sailawaycriuise, Sonny Whitelaw

© Simon Woolley

© 2001, Donna S. Schafer

Volcanic Degassing (Papua New Guinea/ Vanuatu)

Feb. 2008 Mar. 2008 Apr. 2008

May 2008 Jun. 2008 Jul. 2008

Volcanic Degassing (Papua New Guinea/ Vanuatu)

  Rabaul Bagana Ambrym

January 11195.4 13605.2 18022.4

February 37165.4 58731.1 21048.8

March 30657.0 31328.9 19922.7

April 25592.3 10140.5 18602.4

May 38958.3 16464.4 19222.2

June 34288.7 11971.0 29420.1

July 45912.4 14293.1 29083.1

August 29011.6 14751.7 29860.5

Total 252781.1 171285.9 185182.6

Total SO2 emissions in tonsJan. 2008 – Aug. 2008

Rabaul

Ambrym

Bagana

GlobVolcano

Satellite Monitoring in Support to Early Warning of Volcanic Risk

EO based integrated services to support volcanological observatories and other mandate users in their monitoring activities

ESA/ DUE project

GOME-2 SO2 in GlobVolcano

NRT retrieval of volcanic SO2

SO2 information for volcanic regions selected for GlobVolcano

Optimal settings (background corrections, AMFs) for these geographical regions for better detection limit

www.globvolcano.org

Exupéry- Volcano Fast Response System

Development of a prototype mobile volcano fast response systemPart of the German Geotechnology ProgramCombination of different monitoring techniques

Satellite based observationsGround derformationThermal anomaliesVolcanic SO2

SO2 retrieval in NRT

Daily SO2 maps for volcanic regions supplied to databaseOther related SO2 information (Maxima + Location, Threshold Levels)

www.exupery-vfrs.de

Summary & Outlook

Possibility to detect volcanic eruptions and degassing in NRT

Operational product

Daily information for different volcanic regions worldwide

Especially degassing information is very valuable for early warning of volcanic risk

Future workOptimize retrieval for degassing situations with low SO2 amounts

Use in combination with ground based measurements for validation and to estimate the detection limit for GOME-2 SO2