NOAAs Contributions to the Aviation Community Regarding Volcanic Ash

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NOAAs Contributions to the Aviation Community
Regarding Volcanic Ash

• James R. Mahoney, Ph.D.Assistant Secretary of
  Commerce for Oceans Atmosphere
• Director, U.S. Climate Change Science Program
• June 21, 2004

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NOAAs Role in Volcanic Ash Hazards Mitigation

• Birth of the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers
  (VAACs)
• VAAC Information Sources (Satellite
  Non-Satellite)
• Volcanic Ash Information Dissemination
• Reventador Eruption Imagery Sample Ash
  Products
• Example Washington VAAC Activity in 2003
• Future Challenges

Classic example of volcanic ash detection from
AVHRR, evidence of a hazardous ash cloud
thousands of kilometers downwind from the
volcano. The cloud was intact several
days after the main eruption
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International VAAC Boundaries
London
90
Anchorage
Montreal
75
60
45
Tokyo
Washington
30
15
Toulouse
0
15
Buenos Aires
30
Wellington
Darwin
45
60
75
120
105
90
105
120
135
150
165
180
165
150
135
45
30
15
15
30
45
60
60
75
0
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Washington Anchorage VAAC Customers
MWOs
Other VAACs
Pacific NW WFOs
Airlines, Aviation community
VAACs
ACCs FAA
Other U.S. government agencies including AWC,
DoD (AFWA), FEMA

Abbreviations
VAAC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center MWO
Meteorological Watch Office WFO Weather
Forecast Office AWC Aviation Weather Center FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
DoD Department of Defense AFWA Air Force
Weather Agency FEMA Federal Emergency
Management Agency ACC Area Control Center

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Satellite-Derived Sources of Information
Overlays Boundaries Countries, Airspaces Winds
Cloud motion, models, soundings Volcano
locations
GOES, POES Meteosat thermal IR
GOES, POES, Meteosat MODIS shortwave IR
GOES, POES Multi-spectral Products
VAACs
GOES, POES Meteosat MODIS Visible
TOMS SO2 (NASA)
GOES POES PCI (Principle Component Imagery)
Abbreviations
GOESGeostationary Operational Environmental
Satellite POESPolar Operational Environmental
Satellite
TOMSTotal Ozone Mapping Spectrometer CIRACoopera
tive Institute for Research in the
Atmosphere MODISModerate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer
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Non-Satellite Sources of Information
Airlines
Cable TV
Weather Observations
Forecast Models
Phone calls, Faxes
GTS, FOS

News reports
Volcanologists (Observatories, USGS, Smithsonian)
VAACs
PIREPs
FAA AFTN
to GTS, FOS
E-mail, Phone calls
GTS, FOS,Phone calls
Other VAACs
GTS, Phone calls
SIGMETs, MWOs
Internet

Abbreviations
AFTNAeronautical Fixed Telecommunications
Network ATCAir Traffic Control FOSFamily of
Services
GTSGlobal Telecommunication System PIREPSPilot
Reports SIGMETs Significant Meteorological
Statements
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Dissemination of Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAAs)

GTS
WAFs
AFTN (FAA circuits)

AWIPS N-AWIPS (NWS systems)
VAACs
FOS
Listserv
Internet site http//www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/message
s.html

Abbreviations
AFTNAeronautical Fixed Telecommunications
Network FAAFederal Aviation Administration FOSFa
mily of Services
GTSGlobal Telecommunication System WAFsWorld
Area Forecast Satellite Broadcast
System NWSNational Weather Service AWIPSAdvanced
Weather Interactive Processing
System
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Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA) for Reventador
Eruption
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Sample VAFTAD
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Case Study Eruption in Equador
Dormant since 1976, El Reventador in northeast
Ecuador erupted violently on November 3, 2002
sending ash as high as 60,000 feet above sea
level. Ash was observed spreading in two
directions due to sheering at different levels,
threatening aviation routes for thousands of
square miles around the volcano.
Pacific Ocean
Reventador
Quito
Ecuador
In the above GOES-8 visible imagery loop, ash can
be distinguished from weather clouds due to the
dark color of the ash.
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Visible Multi-spectral Signatures for
Reventador Eruption

• Satellite imagery showing ash from the Reventador
  eruption.
• Figure A shows ash (appearing as a smoky whitish
  area) in visible imagery at 1615Z.
• Figure B is a multi-spectral infrared satellite
  image taken half an hour later (1645Z). The
  northeast edge of the ash (which appears in this
  multi-spectral algorithm as a dark gray/black
  area) has now extended into Colombia.

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Washington VAAC Volcanic Ash Support

• 1863 Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAA) 814
  graphical ash analyses were issued in the Year
  of 2003.
• In 2003, the number of VAA almost doubled (195)
  the number of graphics almost tripled (292)
  compared to last year (2002).
• This year, VAA were issued for 11 volcanoes
• Anatahan in the Mariana Islands,
• Soufriere Hills in the Caribbean,
• Tungurahua Guagua Pichincha in Ecuador,
• Popocatepetl Colima in Mexico,
• Masaya in Nicaragua,
• Chikurachki in the Russian Kurile Islands as well
  as,
• Fuego, Pacaya Santa Maria in Guatemala.

2003 VAAs
2003 Graphics
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Future Challenges

• Meet the increasing requirements of aviation
  community through continued research
  interagency collaboration in satellite-based
  volcanic ash detection including
• Accurate ash height assignments
• Detection tracking of SO2 emissions
• Enhanced ash cloud forecasts
• Improved timeliness of eruption notification
• Graphical products for realtime cockpit use
• Leverage off future satellite data streams with
  improved capabilities for enhanced volcanic ash
  detection monitoring (e.g. NPOESS)

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BACKUP SLIDES
15
A
B
Three channel product or Ellrod product

(channels 2, 4 5)
Infrared (channel 4)
C
D
Reflectivity product or CIRA product
(channels 2 4)
Channel Differencing (channels 4 5)
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Eruption
ASH
ASH
Satellite imagery of volcanic ash cloud at all
heights.
Satellite technique showing only high level thick
ash.
Volcanic ash in the Caribbean impacted holiday
air traffic from Trinidad to Puerto Rico.
Washington VAAC www.ssd.noaa.gov
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Visible Image of Guagua Pichincha Eruption