MINIULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETER (MUSE) AND THERMAL INFRARED IMAGE OBSERVATIONS OF

MINIULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETER (MUSE) AND THERMAL INFRARED IMAGE OBSERVATIONS OF




MINI-ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETER (MUSE) AND THERMAL INFRARED IMAGE OBSERVATIONS OF ALASKAN VOLCANOES: COMPARISONS TO ASTER SATELL

MINI-ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROMETER (MUSE) AND THERMAL INFRARED IMAGE OBSERVATIONS OF ALASKAN VOLCANOES: COMPARISONS TO ASTER SATELLITE DATA


David Schneider1, Yvonne Branan2, Courtney Kearney3 and Rick Wessels1

1U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Volcano Observatory, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA

2 Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA

3University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA


The Alaska Volcano Observatory uses data from seismic networks and satellite sensors to monitor the more than 40 historically active volcanoes that lie along the 2500 km-long Aleutian Arc. The main sources of satellite monitoring data are coarse spatial resolution (1 to 8 km) near-real-time data from the AVHRR, MODIS and GOES sensors. Data from these sensors are analyzed at least twice each day to detect and measure thermal activity and emissions of volcanic ash and sulfur dioxide. These data are supplemented by the occasional use of high spatial resolution satellite data (90 m) from the ASTER sensor, which can resolve lower levels of thermal activity and gas emissions than can be detected in the daily data. Although the ASTER data have improved detection limits for observing these phenomena, field measurements can provide important additional constraints on the interpretations of satellite data. This paper reports on the initial results of a field campaign to be conducted during July 2004 at Shishaldin, Pavlof and Hague volcanoes to collect high-resolution thermal images and measurements of sulfur dioxide flux. Thermal images will be collected using ground-based and helicopter-mounted thermal infrared cameras (FLIR ThermaCAM 595), and sulfur dioxide fluxes will be measured using a portable mini-ultraviolet spectrometer (MUSE). These data will be used to ground-truth ASTER satellite measurements of thermal and sulfur dioxide fluxes. Field measurements of the thermally active regions at these volcanoes will aid routine analysis of ASTER data by quantifying their sub-pixel extent. Determination of sulfur dioxide flux using the MUSE instrument will be used to assess the accuracy of ASTER satellite retrievals.





Tags: (muse) and, image, observations, infrared, miniultraviolet, thermal, spectrometer, (muse)