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Tracking volcanic sulfur dioxide clouds for aviation hazard mitigation

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Abstract

Satellite measurements of volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions can provide critical information for aviation hazard mitigation, particularly when ash detection techniques fail. Recent developments in space-based SO2 monitoring are discussed, focusing on daily, global ultraviolet (UV) measurements by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite. OMI’s high sensitivity to SO2 permits long-range tracking of volcanic clouds in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) and accurate mapping of their perimeters to facilitate avoidance. Examples from 2006 to 2007 include eruptions of Soufriere Hills (Montserrat), Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), Nyamuragira (DR Congo), and Jebel at Tair (Yemen). A tendency for some volcanic clouds to occupy the jet stream suggests an increased threat to aircraft that exploit this phenomenon. Synergy between NASA A-Train sensors such as OMI and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the Aqua satellite can provide critical information on volcanic cloud altitude. OMI and AIRS SO2 data products are being produced in near real-time for distribution to Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs) via a NOAA website. Operational issues arising from these improved SO2 measurements include the reliability of SO2 as proxy for co-erupted ash, the duration of VAAC advisories for long-lived volcanic clouds, and the potential effects of elevated concentrations of SO2 and sulfate aerosol in ash-poor clouds on aircraft and avionics (including cumulative effects after multiple inadvertent transits through dilute clouds). Further research is required in these areas. Aviation community assistance is sought through continued reporting of sulfurous odors or other indications of diffuse volcanic cloud encounters, in order to validate the satellite retrievals.

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Abbreviations

AI:

Aerosol Index

AIRS:

Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

AVHRR:

Advanced very high resolution radiometer

CALIOP:

Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization

CALIPSO:

Cloud-aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation

CCD:

Charge-coupled device

CNMI:

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

COSPEC:

Correlation spectroscopy

DOAS:

Differential optical absorption spectroscopy

EP:

Earth Probe

EPA:

Environmental Protection Agency

GOME:

Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment

HYSPLIT:

Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory

IASI:

Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer

IR:

Infrared

LT:

Local time

MLS:

Microwave Limb Sounder

MODIS:

Moderate Resolution Infrared Spectroradiometer

N7:

Nimbus-7

NASA:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NOAA:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NRT:

Near real time

OMI:

Ozone Monitoring Instrument

PBL:

Planetary boundary layer

PNG:

Papua New Guinea

SCIAMACHY:

Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer For Atmospheric Cartography

TES:

Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer

TOMS:

Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer

UT:

Universal time

UTLS:

Upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

UV:

Ultraviolet

VAAC:

Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

VCD:

Vertical column density

VEI:

Volcanic Explosivity Index

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this work was provided by the NASA Science Mission Directorate’s Earth-Sun System Division. The OMI project is managed by Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs (NIVR). The NOAA Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) is acknowledged for provision of the HYSPLIT model and READY website (http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready.html) used in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET), University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA

    Simon A. Carn, Arlin J. Krueger & Keith Evans

  2. Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology (GEST) Center, UMBC, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Nickolay A. Krotkov & Kai Yang

  3. Laboratory for Atmospheres, Code 613.3, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    Nickolay A. Krotkov & Kai Yang

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  1. Simon A. Carn
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  2. Arlin J. Krueger
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  3. Nickolay A. Krotkov
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  4. Kai Yang
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  5. Keith Evans
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Correspondence to Simon A. Carn.

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Carn, S.A., Krueger, A.J., Krotkov, N.A. et al. Tracking volcanic sulfur dioxide clouds for aviation hazard mitigation. Nat Hazards 51, 325–343 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-008-9228-4

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