Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry
Identifying volcanic activity on worlds with optically thick atmospheres with passive microwave radiometry has been proposed as a means of skirting the atmospheric interference that plagues near infrared observations. By probing deeper into the surface, microwave radiometers may also be sensitive to...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/16/2544 |
| _version_ | 1797559640577277952 |
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| author | Shannon M. MacKenzie Ralph D. Lorenz |
| author_facet | Shannon M. MacKenzie Ralph D. Lorenz |
| author_sort | Shannon M. MacKenzie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Identifying volcanic activity on worlds with optically thick atmospheres with passive microwave radiometry has been proposed as a means of skirting the atmospheric interference that plagues near infrared observations. By probing deeper into the surface, microwave radiometers may also be sensitive to older flows and thus amenable for investigations where repeat observations are infrequent. In this investigation we explore the feasibility of this tactic using data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission in three case studies: the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the 2018 Oct-Nov eruption at Fuego, and the ongoing activity at Erta Ale in Ethiopia. We find that despite SMAP’s superior spatial resolution, observing flows that are small fractions of the observing footprint are difficult to detect—even in resampled data products. Furthermore, the absorptivity of the flow, which can be temperature dependent, can limit the depths to which SMAP is sensitive. We thus demonstrate that the lower limit of detectability at L-band (1.41 GHz) is in practice higher than expected from first principles. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b835b1b474ef4493b57568ebd64343b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:48:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-b835b1b474ef4493b57568ebd64343b52023-11-20T09:26:57ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922020-08-011216254410.3390/rs12162544Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave RadiometryShannon M. MacKenzie0Ralph D. Lorenz1Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 1001 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USAApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, 1001 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USAIdentifying volcanic activity on worlds with optically thick atmospheres with passive microwave radiometry has been proposed as a means of skirting the atmospheric interference that plagues near infrared observations. By probing deeper into the surface, microwave radiometers may also be sensitive to older flows and thus amenable for investigations where repeat observations are infrequent. In this investigation we explore the feasibility of this tactic using data from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission in three case studies: the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the 2018 Oct-Nov eruption at Fuego, and the ongoing activity at Erta Ale in Ethiopia. We find that despite SMAP’s superior spatial resolution, observing flows that are small fractions of the observing footprint are difficult to detect—even in resampled data products. Furthermore, the absorptivity of the flow, which can be temperature dependent, can limit the depths to which SMAP is sensitive. We thus demonstrate that the lower limit of detectability at L-band (1.41 GHz) is in practice higher than expected from first principles.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/16/2544volcanoesSMAPmicrowave radiometry |
| spellingShingle | Shannon M. MacKenzie Ralph D. Lorenz Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry Remote Sensing volcanoes SMAP microwave radiometry |
| title | Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry |
| title_full | Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry |
| title_fullStr | Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry |
| title_short | Prospects for Detecting Volcanic Events with Microwave Radiometry |
| title_sort | prospects for detecting volcanic events with microwave radiometry |
| topic | volcanoes SMAP microwave radiometry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/16/2544 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shannonmmackenzie prospectsfordetectingvolcaniceventswithmicrowaveradiometry AT ralphdlorenz prospectsfordetectingvolcaniceventswithmicrowaveradiometry |