Lava flows and cinder cones at Barren Island volcano, India (2005–2017): a spatio-temporal analysis using satellite images

Abstract

Barren Island volcano erupted during January–February 2017. Located near the Andaman trench and over a subduction zone, it is the only active volcano in India. It comprises a prominent caldera within which there is a polygenetic intra-caldera cinder cone system, with a record of eruptive events which date back to eighteenth century (1787–1832). Major eruptions occurred in 1991, 1994–1995, 2005 and, since 2008, the volcano has been showing near continuous activity with periodic eruptions. We used coarse spatial resolution “fire” products (Band I4) from Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite to detect days of eruption during the January–February 2017 period. Moderate spatial resolution (23.5 m) short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) data of Resourcesat-2 Linear Imaging Self Scanning Sensor–III available for specific days during this period were used to verify signatures of volcanic eruption. Thermal infrared band data from the Landsat series over the 2005–2017 periods were used to estimate the brightness temperature and location of the active vent within the polygenetic cinder cone field. High-spatial resolution images (1–5.8 m) in the visible bands (Resourcesat-2 LISS-IV, Cartosat-1 and 2) were used to delineate the changes in overall morphology of the volcano and to identify an inner crater ring fault, new paths of lava flow and the formation of a new cinder cone on the old crater. These multi-temporal data sets show significant changes in the paths of lava flows from 2005 to 2017. The observations also document periodic shifts in the location of effusive vents. Morphogenetic changes in recent eruptive phases of the Barren Island volcano were successfully delineated using a combination of multi-temporal and multi-resolution satellite images in visible, SWIR and thermal infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.