Multisatellite Multisensor Observations of a Sub-Plinian Volcanic Eruption: The 2015 Calbuco Explosive Event in Chile

Abstract

A-train satellite data, acquired during the Calbuco volcano (Chile) sub-Plinian eruption in April 2015, are discussed to explore the complementarity of spaceborne observations in the microwave (MW), thermal infrared (TIR), and visible wavelengths for both near-source plume and distal ash clouds. The analysis shows that TIR-based detection techniques are not suitable near the volcanic vent where rising convective columns are associated with large optical depths. Detection and parametric estimates of near-source tephra mass loading and plume height from MW radiometric data, available 69 min after the eruption onset, are proposed. Results indicate a maximum plume altitude of about 21 km above the sea level and an ash mass of 3.65 × 10^10 kg, in agreement with mass values obtained from empirical formulas, but less than proximal– distal mass deposit of 1.86 × 10^11 kg. This discrepancy may be explained by extrapolating Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder-based estimates to 6 h, thus obtaining a total mass of about 1.90×10^11 kg. Distal volcanic cloud retrievals are derived from TIR imagery and results show a good agreement between Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) retrievals of total mass taking into account the overpass time shift. If only the overlapping pixels between MODIS and VIIRS are considered, the respective estimates are 1.90 × 10^9 kg and 1.80 × 10^9 kg. TIR radiometric estimates of distal ash cloud height and mass loadings are also compared with Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations lidar retrievals. For low-to-medium optically thick ash cloud, average Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization-derived mass loading is about 0.8 g/m2 against 0.4 g/m2 from VIIRS and 1.4 g/m2 from MODIS.