Stepping-stone towards the long-term goals of the Santorini Report (2012):

1) global background observations at all Holocene volcanoes;

2) weekly observations at restless volcanoes;

3) daily observations at erupting volcanoes;

4) development of novel measurements;

5) 20-year sustainability; and

6) capacity-building

Volcano Pilot Long-term Objectives

1) Demonstrate the feasibility of integrated, systematic and sustained monitoring

of Holocene volcanoes using space-based EO;

2) Demonstrate applicability and superior timeliness of space-based EO

products to the operational community for better understanding volcanic

activity and reducing impact and risk from eruptions;

3) Build the capacity for use of EO data in volcanic observatories in Latin

America as a showcase for global capacity development opportunities.

Deformation of several volcanoes was detected in an arc-wide InSAR survey of South America by Pritchard and Simons, 2002.

Volcano Pilot Short-term Objectives

Three main components:

A. Demonstration of systematic monitoring in

Latin America;

B. Development of new products using

monitoring from Geohazard Supersites

and Natural Laboratories initiative

C. Showcase monitoring benefits for major

eruption during 2014–2016

Deformation of several volcanoes was detected in an arc-wide InSAR survey of South America by Pritchard and Simons, 2002.

Volcano Pilot main components

Deformation of several volcanoes was detected in an arc-wide InSAR survey of South America by Pritchard and Simons, 2002.

Key outcomes

1) identification of volcanoes that are in a state of unrest in Latin America;

2) comprehensive tracking of unrest and eruptive activity using satellite data

in support of hazards mitigation activities;

3) validation of EO-based methodology for improved monitoring of surface

deformation;

4) improved EO-based monitoring of key parameters for volcanoes that are

about to erupt, are erupting, or have just erupted, especially in the

developing world (where in-situ resources may be scarce)

Objective A Priority Area

There are about 310 Holocene

volcanoes in Latin America (including

México, Central America, the

Caribbean, Galápagos, and South

America). About 37 are considered

“active” with recent (or ongoing)

eruptions or ground deformation.

Highest priority volcano targets of the CEOS pilot project

1. Central America and northern Andes (Juliet Biggs, Bristol): Colima, Mexico , Arenal, Costa Rica ,

Nevado delRuiz, Colombia Galeras, Colombia,Tungurahua, Ecuador , Soufrière Hills, Montserrat

Turrialba, Costa Rica, Pacaya, Guatemala , Popocatapetl, Mexico Nevado de Machin, Colombia

,Cotopaxi, Ecuador ,Reventaor, Ecuador ,Masaya, Nicaragua), Soufriere Hills Volcano,

Montserrat

2. 2. Central and southern Andes (Matt Pritchard, Cornell): Cerro Auquihuato, Peru, Sabancaya,

Peru ,Ubinas, Peru , Isluga, Chile ,Sillajhuay, Chile, Uturuncu, Bolivia ,Putana, Chile ,Láscar,

Chile ,Cordon de Puntas Negras, Chile, Lastarria, Chile , Laguna del Maule, Chile ,Copahue,

Argentina ,Llaima, Chile , Villarrica, Chile ,Puyehue-Cordón Caulle, Chile , Cerro Hudson, Chile .

3. Galapagos: Fernandina, Wolf, Darwin, Alcedo, Sierra Negra, Cerro Azul

- RADARSAT-2 SAR data have been made available

- 100 RADARSAT-2 archive Products has been agreed at 4 volcanoes: Tungurahua,

Cotopaxi, Reventador, and Cordón Caulle.

- Nine scenes from Cordón Caulle have been processed (spanning dates in 2012-

2014). 83 scenes for Tungurahua, Cotopaxi and Reventador have been ordered.

- COSMO-SkyMed data (200 products/year) will be available pending a signed

agreement

- ASI started background acquisitions on Tungurahua,Reventador, Cotopaxi, Nevado

del Ruiz

- TerraSAR-X and ALOS-2 data : need to understand how to access

- CNES: Pleaides requested for Bardabunga and Hawaii / Spot 5

- COSMO-SkyMed data will be available pending a signed agreement

- TerraSAR-X data agreement has not yet been established

Objective A Data Availability

Objective A Status and Results

RADARSAT-2 interferogram from Cordon Caulle volcano, Chile, spanning December 12,

2012 – March 27, 2013 (left: phase difference; right: phase difference overlain on

amplitude image). The volcano erupted in 2011-2012. This interferogram shows post-

eruptive inflation which would not otherwise have been known without the CEOS pilot

program.

Figure courtesy of Matt Pritchard (Cornell University)

Although other datasets are not yet available over Latin

America, CEOS Volcano Pilot investigators have been working

with publically available data (or data they had access to via

other means) to assess volcanic activity in the region. Results

include:

1) Topographic change at Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat,

where eruptive activity since 1995 has resulted in repeated

growth and collapse of a lava dome

2) Mass wasting (landslide) behavior at Arenal volcano, Coast

Rica

- COSMO-SkyMed data will be available pending a signed

agreement

- TerraSAR-X data agreement has not yet been established

Objective A (Latin America regional study) Status and Results

• Did not observe deformation at 14 of

the 15 volcanoes in the Lesser

Antilles Arc from 2008-2010

• Large InSAR signals at Montserrat

due to emplacement of volcanic

material at the surface

• Compare pre-eruptive DEM to

topography derived from post-

eruptive InSAR (from ALOS)

• Detect maximum 210 ± 30 m of lava

dome growth and up to 200 m of

valley infilling by pyroclastic flows

Results courtesy of David Arnold (University of Bristol)

Topographic change on Montserrat, Lesser Antilles associated with

the eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano from 1995–2010 Results from ALOS-1 imagery spanning 2008-2010

Lava dome

location

Evidence of thin-skinned mass wasting at Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

TerraSAR-X imagery 2011-2013

• 16 landslides

of 5–11 meters

in thickess

• time-averaged

displacement

rates up to 12

cm/yr near

summit

• landslide

motion varies

through time

Results courtesy of

Susanna Ebmeier

(University of Bristol)

2012 Nicoya Earthquake causes greater area covered by rockfalls

TerraSAR-X amplitude differences

• 16 landslides

of thickesses:

5 to 11 metres

• time-averaged

displacement

rates up to 12

cm/yr near

summit

• landslide

motion varies

through time

Results courtesy of Susanna Ebmeier (University of Bristol)

- Permanent volcano Supersites in Hawaii, Iceland, and Italy

are receiving data from multiple SAR satellites and ground-

based instruments, with results appearing in the peer-

reviewed literature

- Sinabung volcano eruption (2013-2014) identified as an

event Supersite in September, SAR data have been

provided to interested

- Candidate Supersites are currently be evaluated, including

Ecuadorian volcanoes, New Zealand volcanoes, and

Reunion Island

- New results from recent Icelandic eruption are spectacular!!!

Objective B (Volcano Supersites) Status and Results

Bárðarbunga volcano

2014 activity

COSMO-SkyMED and RADARSAT-2 interferograms:

Generated using images obtained as part of the Iceland

Supersite

Photo credit: M Parks

Bárðarbunga volcano - 2014 Bárðarbunga is one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes – analysis of tephra

from soil profiles suggests a historic eruption frequency of ~5 eruptions/100

years (Óladóttir et al., 2011)

ASI re-tasked CSK satellites in July 2014 at the request of the University of

Iceland to commence acquiring both ascending and descending images

every 16 days over Bárðarbunga volcano and also over Askja volcano

extending south to the tip of Vatnajökull glacier

Volcanic unrest commenced with the onset on earthquake swarms and

significant ground movements (registered at several continuous GPS sites

in the area), on the 16th August 2014

The first eruption commenced at 00:02 on the 29th August, during which a

small fissure opened in Holuhraun (directly north of the Dyngjujökull glacier)

extruding a small basaltic lava flow, however activity lasted only several

hours; ceasing around 4 am

A second fissure eruption commenced on the morning of the 31st August, at

5:15 am. This eruption was accompanied by lava fountains and the

extrusion of both ‘A’a and pahoehoe lava flows

The eruption is currently ongoing and lava flows now cover an estimated

area of ~19 km2

Seismicity since the 16th August. Preliminary data analysed by the SIL seismic monitoring

group of the Icelandic Meteorological Office, as of the 9th September, 2014 (IMO, 2014).

Source: http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-

volcanism/articles/nr/2949

Processing carried out using CSK Products, © ASI (Italian Space Agency) - 2014, delivered under an ASI license to use.

COSMO-SkyMed images have been provided in the framework of the Geohazard Supersite Initiative.

COSMO-SkyMED descending interferogram spanning the period 10th August 2014 - 26th August 2014. Each

fringe represents ~1.5 cm of displacement in the satellite's line-of-sight.

NordVulk))

Processing carried out using CSK Products, © ASI (Italian Space Agency) - 2014, delivered under an ASI license to use.

COSMO-SkyMed images have been provided in the framework of the Geohazard Supersite Initiative.

COSMO-SkyMED ascending interferogram spanning the period 11th August 2014 - 27th August 2014. Each

fringe represents ~1.5 cm of displacement in the satellite's line-of-sight.

NordVulk))

COSMO-SkyMED descending

interferogram spanning the period

13th August 2014 - 29th August 2014.

Each fringe represents ~1.5 cm of

displacement in the satellite's line-of-

sight.

August 8 –

September 1, 2014

RADARSAT-2

Results courtesy of

Andy Hooper

(University of Leeds)

- SAR Data from Hawaii are not only used to map

deformation, but also lava flows through coherence

Objective B (Volcano Supersites) Hawaii results

- Lava flows are

currently threatening

homes in Hawaii, so

tracking their progress

is of critical

importance for hazard

monitoring and

mitigation

As of September 2014, no major episode of unrest or episode

of eruptive activity worldwide has been deemed appropriate for

study as part of the CEOS Volcano pilot (Bárðarbunga would

have been appropriate but is covered by the Iceland

Supersite) . We are tracking global volcanism through

Smithsonian Institution reports and will be ready to pounce

when a suitable episode manifests itself.

Objective C (Large eruption) Status and Results

Communication

• Submitted abstract to Dec. 2014 AGU Session:

Reducing Vulnerability from Latin American Volcanoes Through

Enhanced Monitoring Efforts, “Utility of regional satellite volcano

deformation monitoring in Latin America: The CEOS pilot project”

by Francisco Delgado1, Matthew E. Pritchard1, Juliet Biggs2 and David

Arnold2, (1)Cornell University, Department of Earth and Atmospheric

Sciences, Ithaca, NY, United States, (2)University of Bristol, School of

Earth Sciences, Bristol, United Kingdom

• Abstract preparation for ISRSE 2015 (Juliet Biggs)

• FRINGE 2015 (multiple investigators)

Original Milestones and Schedule 2014: Begin studies at Supersite volcanoes. Begin collection of data over

Latin America data and development of derived products. Establish ties with

users and work with them to define procedures for delivering products.

2015: Provide derived products to appropriate users in Latin America (e.g.,

VAAC, Observatories) and agencies working on Supersite volcanoes.

Collect feedback from users about the data and derived products, and use

the feedback to refine monitoring strategies. Provide initial evaluation of

pilot results to the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

2016: Receive reports from Latin American users on derived products and

adjust as needed. Evaluate results from Supersite studies. Develop

broader space-based EO strategy using insights from pilot in a formal

report.

Progress towards milestones

2014: Supersite studies are healthy, and data are beginning to be collected

over Latin America but few datasets have been made available thus far.

Ties with users in Latin America therefore have yet to be firmly established.

Impact on timeline: Strengthening ties with users in Latin America will begin

in 2015, once more data are available. It may not be possible to collect

feedback from these users until late in 2015 or early in 2016. Initial

evaluation of pilot results for the World Conference on Disaster Risk

Reduction will probably include only examples of how data can be used to

detect volcanic unrest (e.g., Cordon Caulle) and track eruptive activity (e.g.,

Hawaii and Iceland).

CHALLENGES - Data availability for Objective A is limited (currently only

RADARSAT-2, COSMO-SkyMed is pending). We may have

to re-prioritize the volcanoes exampled, since an arc-wide

study may not be possible by the end of 2016.

- Pleiades acquisitions are pending over Hawaii, but not yet

scheduled

- Establish link with users / collect feedback

OPPORTUNITIES - Supersite data are flowing smoothly

- Students are available to work on pilot data and have

already achieved excellent results (see Cordon Caulle

example)

• Telcon in July with Claus Zehner discussing linkages

• Interest in showcasing complementarity – ACC is in contact with

Washington and Buenos Aires VAACS and providing products

• Pilot establishing which products are being provided by ACC and

whether through NOAA complementary products are also required

• Main users of Volcano Pilot are observatories examining volcano data –

main users of ACC products are VAACS and airlines looking at

atmospheric products for impacts on aircraft flights

• ACC and Volcano Pilot will continue to share information and ensure

there is no overlap or duplication between efforts, especially in Latin

America.

Coordination with ACC