The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflectance Radiometer (ASTER) is a high resolution multispectral imager ideal for discerning physical variations on the active Soufrière Hills volcanic dome. Five band thermal infrared data at 90 meter spatial resolution can produce accurate temperature and emissivity data. These data can potentially provide information of glass and vesicle distribution across the changing dome, and therefore on internal processes. One cloud-free image is captured every three months on average, with increased frequency in 2002, where the volcano was a high priority target. Six nighttime ASTER scenes of the dome have been chosen based on coverage of the entire dome, the presence of thermal infrared anomalies, and pyroclastic flow activity, as well as a relative lack of cloud cover over the active dome. Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) weekly reports from 1999 to present (available online) were also ingested into a multi-parameter, searchable database. These data, which detail specific volcanic activity, were compared against the ASTER data. The database fields include SO2 flux, high temporal resolution weather satellite-derived radiance measurements, description of dome growth and collapse, and intensities of pyroclastic flows, rockfalls, fumarolic activity, and seismic activity. This database provides a unique cross-reference for the interpretation of the spaceborne data, as well as highlighting observable trends in each of the volcanic activity types. Results from this study will provide a better understanding of the capabilities of the ASTER instrument to accurately describe active dome processes and to characterize these and other processes statistically. This knowledge can be applied to other active areas to study potential indicators of volcanic activity, dome collapse, the generation of hazardous pyroclastic activity, as well as the transition from effusive dome growth to explosivity.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-12172003-074814 |
| Date | 28 January 2004 |
| Creators | Kuhn, Sally Susan |
| Contributors | Michael Ramsey, Thomas Anderson, Ian Skilling |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12172003-074814/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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