1 UWG Meeting, November 16, 2010 UWG Member: Nickolay Krotkov Affiliation: NASA Contact Information: NASA-NOAA-FMI-KNMI project to monitor Volcanic clouds in near-real time with the Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)

2 LANCE Data Products: Aura Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) SO 2 and Aerosol Index (AI) Using OMI LANCE element Continuously download OMSO2NRT data to NOAA from the OMI ftp server Derived products (e.g. interactive maps and image files, geographic sub-setting) are generating by NOAA/NESDIS/OSDPD partners

3 Application: Aviation volcanic ash avoidance High density of air routes Small volcanic ash particles No constraints on ‘safe’ concentration of ash for aircraft Map courtesy of F. Prata Immediate hazards –Engine failure due to melted ash –Abrasion of windshield –Effects on avionics Secondary hazards –Corrosion by ash, sulfuric acid Rerouting is expensive Accurate mapping is required

NOAA/NESDIS Value –added product: web page and user interface Global composites Volcano sectors Latest satellite orbit Digital images

SO 2 Cloud (Reflectivity)AI OMI UV Aerosol Index (AI) shows directly sunlight absorption by volcanic ash OMI SO 2 is used as proxy for volcanic clouds, can be seen longer than ash The Eyjafjallajokull (Iceland) eruptions April-May 2010 NOAA/NESDIS Value –added product: volcanic sub-sets

International data users: Following the April 14 Eyjafjallajökull eruption in Iceland The European air traffic was closed for almost one week starting on April 15 Transport of the ash was forecasted using ash dispersion models Decisions were made by flight authorities based on forecasts Measurements were also needed to refine model forecasts Aura OMI SO2 and ash data was found to be useful for monitoring the volcanic plume distribution and calibrating the emission source of Eyjafjällajökull eruption at Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI ). Decision was made at FMI to use Aura direct broadcast to process OMI SO2 and aerosol products within 15 minutes

OMI detects ash (Aerosol Index, AI) and SO 2 The Eyjafjallajokull (Iceland) 2010 eruption was unusual because effusive eruptions typically emit limited ash that falls locally. Here, glacial melt produced much phreatic fine ash that drifted at relatively low altitudes. Total SO 2 mass ~ tons. April 15 April 16

Comparison of Volcanic Ash model and OMI AI April 16

Comparison of VAA and OMI AI – May 6 Before 21 April “zero tolerance” After 21 April – 0.1 mg m -3 beyond 2 mg m -3 “no go” After 4 May removal of “buffer zones” beyond 4 mg m -3 “no go”

Currently USGS and Darwin VAAC are actively using the NRT OMI SO2 data to manage the ongoing eruption at Merapi (Java ). Merapi (Java) eruption November 5-6 OMI SO 2 is used as proxy for volcanic clouds, can be seen longer than ash OMI UV Aerosol Index (AI) shows directly sunlight reflection by ash

Value added: NOAA on-line tool for combining satellite images with dispersion models to determine SO 2 vertical distribution The Darwin VAAC is showing Volcanic Ash up to feet (~ 13Km) in agreement with NOAA numerical estimations Merapi (Java) eruption November Puff model OMI SO2 measurements Derived vertical distribution VA ADVISORY DTG: /1249Z VAAC: DARWIN VOLCANO: MERAPI PSN: S0732 E11026 AREA: JAVA SUMMIT ELEV: 2947M ADVISORY NR: 2010/31 INFO SOURCE: MTSAT-2 AVIATION COLOUR CODE: RED ERUPTION DETAILS: VA PLUME TO FL390 LAST OBS EXTENDING 120 NM TO W AT 04/0330Z. OBS VA DTG:

Value added: Plume height estimation: Merapi Major explosive eruption in Nov 4-5, 2010 OMI measured ~ Tg SO 2 injected into UTLS MLS shows significant HCl content – consistent with expected Merapi volcanic gas composition CALIPSO detects aerosol layers near tropopause Aura/OMI – cumulative SO 2 for Nov 4-8 Aura/MLS – HCl for Nov 4-6 CALIPSO – aerosol altitude on Nov 5 Volcanic aerosol

Reducing data latency: Direct broadcast of OMI SO 2 and AI via FMI’s Very Fast Delivery system ~15 min FMI Sodankylä satellite downlink station receives OMI Direct Broadcast data: SO 2 and AI Fast processing: ~15 min for O 3, UV, SO 2 and AI to distribution on web site; Push for release of software to process data at other sites Sodankylä