Research report 2010 - Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Global monitoring of volcanic emissions with satellite instruments
Authors
Wagner, Thomas; Hörmann, Christoph; Penning de Vries, Marloes; Sihler, Holger
Departments
Forschungsgruppe Satellitenfernerkundung (Prof. Dr. Thomas Wagner)
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz
Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie, Mainz
Summary
Volcanoes have a large impact on life on earth. Besides their direct influence they are also important for atmospheric chemistry and climate. Since several years, satellite observations provide a completely new view on volcanic emissions of gases and aerosols. Current retrieval methods are sensitive enough to allow even the observation of emissions from weak eruptions or continuous outgasing. In this article we provide an overview on the current status of satellite remote sensing of volcanic emissions. Also a case study on the eruption of the Sarychev Peak in June 2009 is presented.