SHIVA

SHIVA

Spectrally High resolution Infrared measurements for the characterisation of Volcanic Ash: a new way to study volcanic processes
Investigators
Principal Investigator	Dr Don Grainger University of Oxford
Co-Investigator	Dr Tamsin Mather University of Oxford Prof. David Pyle University of Oxford
Recognised Researcher	Dr Elisa Carboni University of Oxford
Project Partners	Dr Matthew Watson University of Bristol Dr Mike Burton INGV Dr Georgina Sawyer University of Cambridge Dr Marie Edmonds University of Cambridge
Funding Agency
NERC
Project start	1 April 2013
Project finish	31 March 2016

Spectrally High resolution Infrared measurements for the characterisation of Volcanic Ash: a new way to study volcanic processes

SHIVA is a NERC funded project to study the properties of volcanic ash using ground and space-based high resolution infrared spectrometer measurements.

Summary

The composition, grain-size and morphology of volcanic ash particles contains important information about the processes of magma ascent and fragmentation in volcanic eruptions (e.g. Heiken and Wohletz, 1985; Rust and Cashman 2011). The size and shape of ash particles is also critical in influencing the transport of ash through the atmosphere (e.g. Bonadonna et al., 1998; Riley et al., 2003), and its subsequent far-field impacts on people, infrastructure and ecosystems (e.g. Stewart et al., 2006, Bebbington et al., 2008; Durant et al., 2010 ). While recent ash-rich volcanic eruptions in Iceland (e.g. Eyjafjallajökull, 2010) and Chile (e.g. Chaiten, 2008; Puyehue- Cordon Caulle, 2011) have provided considerable new insights into the details of ash formation, transport and deposition, they have also highlighted the need for new work to improve the quantification of the properties of ash in volcanic plumes from remote-sensing observations.

Our approach is to develop a reference database of ash optical properties (spectral values of extinction coefficient, single scatter albedo and phase function) based on literature values of refractive index particle size and morphology, complemented by values measured by our project partners. Importantly, during the project, the sparse literature values of ash refractive index will be extended by laboratory measurements that will become available through a NERC funded laboratory study of volcanic ash (NE/I015582/1).

The database of ash optical properties will form the basis of optimal estimation schemes to estimate ash properties from high resolution infrared spectra, i.e.

i) ash composition, optical depth and effective radius determined from transmission spectra near volcanic vents

ii) ash composition, altitude, optical depth and effective radius determined from emission spectra measurements by the nadir viewing Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)

ii) ash composition, altitude, optical depth and effective radius determined from emission spectra measurements by the limb viewing Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS)

An important aspect of this approach is the inherent quality control provided in the OE approach that allows the errors in any retrieval assumptions to be quantified. The retrieval schemes will be validated by comparing the results with geochemical and petrology analysis and laboratory measurements of refractive index from ash samples. In addition we will use correlative satellite data to ascertain the effects of sub-pixel variation and contamination by cloud.

Finally we will work with our project partners to understand the observed variation in ash characteristics in terms of volcanic processes. To expedite this discussion we plan to have two volcanic ash workshops during the project, and regular teleconferences with all project participants.

Aim and Objectives

The overarching aim of this project is to identify ash composition from information contained in infrared spectra and to study the change in composition during an eruption, in order to better understand the volcanic processes that control eruptive activity.

The objectives that support this aim are:

O1. To develop algorithms using new ash optical properties to retrieve ash characteristics from data collected with three different hyperspectral observing systems: ground-based absorption spectra and satellite-based emission spectra (from the limb and from nadir).

O2. To validate the results with geochemical and petrological analysis of ash samples and with reference to laboratory refractive index measurements of ash samples.

Meetings

Scheduled SHIVA meetings

• Informal pre kick-off dinner at the EGU Vienna
• Kick-off Meeting, Oxford summer 2013
• Closing Meeting, Oxford summer 2016