Spaceborne Monitoring 2000–2005 of the Pu'u `O'o-Kupaianaha (Hawaii) Eruption by Synergetic Merge of Multispectral Payloads ASTER and MODIS

Abstract

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> The spaceborne thermal monitoring of the great eruption of Pu'u `O'o-Kupaianaha in Hawaii (1987 to present) was attempted, integrating high-resolution SWIR–TIR and low-resolution MIR–TIR observations. Data acquired by multispectral payloads ASTER and MODIS onboard spacecraft Terra, and MODIS onboard Aqua, were processed behind real time by the use of computing routines “MyVOL” and “MyMOD” based on assessed theory and designed for real-time operations. The process was tested against the 2000–2005 eruptive history, both in geometry and volume dynamics of the lava flow. Here, instant lava effusion rates obtained from approximately 1800 cloud-free (over a total <formula formulatype="inline"><tex>$≫$</tex></formula> 3000) day-/nighttime MODIS scenes and 12 cloud-free (over a total of 30) nighttime ASTER scenes are compared with each other and with volcanological ground truth composed of gas <formula formulatype="inline"><tex>$(\hbox{SO}_{2})$</tex></formula>- and electromagnetic potential (very low frequency)-derived eruption rates. Remote-sensed eruption rates are consistent with ground truth from approximately 1 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex>$\hbox{m}^{3}/\hbox{s}$</tex> </formula> up to the peak effusion rates of 1.2–1.3 million <formula formulatype="inline"><tex>$\hbox{m}^{3}/ \hbox{day}$</tex></formula> observed in 2005. </para>