The Estimation of Lava Flow Temperatures Using Landsat Night-Time Images: Case Studies from Eruptions of Mt. Etna and Stromboli (Sicily, Italy), Kīlauea (Hawaii Island), and Eyjafjallajökull and Holuhraun (Iceland)

Ádám Nádudvari,Marco Viccaro,Rosanna Maniscalco,Anna Abramowicz

doi:10.3390/rs12162537

Ádám Nádudvari, Marco Viccaro + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12162537

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Abstract

Using satellite-based remote sensing to investigate volcanic eruptions is a common approach for preliminary research, chiefly because a great amount of freely available data can be effectively accessed. Here, Landsat 4-5TM, 7ETM+, and 8OLI night-time satellite images are used to estimate lava flow temperatures and radiation heat fluxes from selected volcanic eruptions worldwide. After retrieving the spectral radiance, the pixel values were transformed into temperatures using the calculated calibration constants. Results showed that the TIR and SWIR bands were saturated and unable to detect temperatures over the active lava flows. However, temperatures were effectively detected over the active lava flows in the range ~500–1060 °C applying the NIR-, red-, green- or blue-band. Application of the panchromatic band with 15 m resolution also revealed details of lava flow morphology. The calculated radiant heat flux for the lava flows accords with increasing cooling either with slope or with distance from the vent.

Highlights

Surveys of ground thermal anomalies in volcanic areas due to lava flow-forming eruptions are of great importance in monitoring the activity of active volcanoes
Subsequent eruptions between September 2004 and July 2009 occurred from fissures at the southeastern base of the South East Crater (SEC), which is today one of the six active summit craters of Mt
From January 2011 to December 2013, 44 eruptions occurred at the New South East Crater (NSEC), most of them characterized by short-term paroxysmal activity with vigorous lava fountaining accompanying extrusion of rheomorphic lava flows [55,63,64]

Summary

Introduction

Surveys of ground thermal anomalies in volcanic areas due to lava flow-forming eruptions are of great importance in monitoring the activity of active volcanoes. The short wavelength infrared (SWIR) bands of day-time–night-time Landsat series can detect high temperature thermal anomalies from 160 to 420 ◦C, e.g., burning coal seam fires or lava flows [12,13,14,15,16,17]. Lower temperature phenomena, such as small ground thermal anomalies, must be studied in the thermal infrared (TIR) window (8–14 μm; [7,8]). Pixel-Integrated Temperatures Which Can Be Detected Without Achieving Saturation [19]

Results and Discussion

Lava Flow Temperature Estimations

Conclusions