University of Hawaii: EOS Volcanology Plume Studies

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• STEVE SELF (University of Hawaii)
Volcanologist; PhD 1974 Imperial College, London, UK; Professor at University of Hawaii 1990-present. Eruption mechanisms and products, atmospheric impacts of volcanism, volcanic hazards.
• RICK HOLASEK (SETS Technology, Inc.)
• JING-XIA ZHAO (University of Hawaii)

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Sample Images
El Chichon remote sensing (149K image)
Using AVHRR weather satellite data, Steve Self and Rick Holasek are trying to develop numerical models which describe the dispersal of eruption plumes, as well as develop algorithms for the quantitative analysis of the plumes.

Here we see AVHRR data for the April 1982 eruption of El Chichon, Mexico, which demonstrates some of the interesting aspects of certain eruption plumes. The top image is a visible wavelength view of the plume, with the sun shining from the right. The brighter circular area on the left side of the plume is the highest point, based on the illuminated right-facing side of the plume. In the lower image is a temperature plot of the plume, also from AVHRR. The scale bar at the bottom goes from -31C (red) to -82C (blue). The coldest part of the plume is to the right of the highest point. This mismatch between temperature and height is believed to be due to super-adiabatic cooling of the plume, and shows that EOS algorithms developed around the assumption that plume height is correlated with temperature will not be valid. Image produced by Rick Holasek.

10 Remote Sensing Images of Pinatubo Eruption Cloud

Satellite images of the Mount St. Helens cloud can be found in: Holasek and Self (1995) GOES weather satellite observations and measurements of the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption, J. Geophys. Res., 100: 8469-8487.

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Pre-launch EOS activities

• Develop an algorithm for determining plume height and temperature.



• Develop an algorithm for predicting the dispersal of volcanically-produced SO2 and sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere.

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EOS mission activities

• Use remote sensing and a microphysical/chemical model to predict the future properties of a volcanic plume (such as SO2 abundance, H2SO4 aerosol size distribution and abundance, etc.). This will be used to assess potential climate impact and hazards.



• Determine plume heights, temperatures, and undercooling from MODIS datasets.

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Some recent related publications

• Keszthelyi, L, and S Self (1998) Some physical requirements for the emplacement of long basaltic lava flows, Jour. Geophys. Res., 103: 27447-27464.



• Self, S, L Keszthelyi, and Th Thordarson (1998) The importance of pahoehoe, Ann. Review Earth Sci., 26: 81-110.



• Thordarson, T, and S Self (1998) The Roza Member, Columbia River Basalt Group: A gigantic pahoehoe lava flow field formed by endogenous processes? Jour Geophys. Res., 103: 27411-27445.



• Self S, MR Rampino, J Zhao, and MG Katz (1997) Volcanic aerosol perturbations and strong El-Nino events - No general correlation, Geophys. Res. Lett. 24: 1247 - 1250.



• Holasek, RE, AW Woods, and S Self (1996) Experiments on gas-ash separation processes in volcanic umbrella clouds. Jour. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 70: 169-181.



• Holasek RE, S Self, and AW Woods (1996) Satellite observations and interpretation of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption plumes. Jour. Geophys. Res. 101: 27635-27655.



• Self, S, and AJ King (1996) Petrology and sulfur and chlorine emissions of the 1963 eruption of Gunun-Agung, Bali, Indonesia. Bull. Volc. 58: 263-285.



• Self, S, J-X Zhao, RE Holasek, RC Torres, and AJ King (1996) The atmospheric impact of the Mount Pinatubo eruption, in Fire and Mud: Eruptions and lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, CG Newhall and RS Punongbayan (eds.), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Quezon City, and University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 1089-1115.



• Thordarson Th, and S Self (1996) Sulfur, chlorine, and fluorine degassing and atmospheric loading by the Roza eruption, Columbia River Basalt Group. Jour. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 74: 49-74.



• Thordarson, Th, S Self, N Oskarsson, and T Hulsebosch (1996) Sulfur, chlorine, and fluorine degassing and atmospheric loading by the 1783-1784 AD Laki (Skaftar Fires) eruption in Iceland, Bull. Volcanol., 58: 205-225.



• Torres, RC, S Self, and M Martinez (1996) Secondary pyroclastic flows from the 15 June 1991 ignimbrite of Mount Pinatubo in Fire and Mud: Eruptions and lahars of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, CG Newhall and RS Punongbayan (eds.), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Quezon City, and University of Washington Press, Seattle, pp. 665-678.



• Bredow, JW, R Porco, MS Dawson, CL Betty, S Self, and Th Thordarson (1995) A multifrequency laboratory investigation of attenuation and scattering from volcanic ash clouds, IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sensing, 33: 1071-1082.



• Holasek, RE (1995) Volcanic Eruption Plumes: Satellite remote sensing observations and laboratory experiments. Unpubl. PhD thesis, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 252pp.



• Holasek, RE, and S Self (1995) GOES weather satellite observations and measurements of the May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens eruption, Jour. Geophys. Res., 100: 8469-8487.



• Self, S, and PJ Mouginis-Mark (1995) Volcanic eruptions, prediction, hazard assessment, remote sensing, and societal implications, US National Report to International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics, 1991-1994, Rev. Geophys. Suppl., 33: 257-262.



• Torres, RC, S Self, and RS Punongbayan (1995) Attention focuses on Taal: Decade Volcano of the Philippines, EOS Trans. AGU, 76: 241, 246-247.



• Woods, AW, RE Holasek, and S Self (1995) Wind-driven dispersal of volcanic ash plumes and its control on the thermal structure of the plume-top, Bull. Volcanol., 57: 283-292.

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