Exploring the effect of steep, rough topography on satellite based estimates of radiative heat flux measurements of active volcanoes

• Applicant: Dr. Klemen Zaksek
• Subject Area: Geophysics
• Term: from 2011 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 184403751

Over the course of the last 25 years it has been shown that thermal remote sensing of volcanic activity is an essential tool to monitor emerging and ongoing volcanic activity by estimating radiative heat flux. So far the spatial resolution of thermal sensors on board different satellites was poor, not requiring any topographic correction of the measurements. The estimated radiative heat flux can easily be underestimated by 50% if topographic corrections are not applied. Here we therefore propose to develop topographical corrections for thermal remote sensing applications, being especially import in the context of monitoring volcanic activity along the steep flanks of volcanoes. This will allow monitoring of active volcanoes with greater accuracy. Several different topographic corrections have already been developed for the imagery in the visible spectrum and those will be the starting point for the research. We will use data to test our algorithms acquired by TET-1. TET-1 is a German micro satellite produced by DLR that will be launched in October 2010. We will validate our algorithms and results by ground based measurements of the radiant flux carried out on an active volcano during the overpass of TET-1.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: Thermische Kamera
• Instrumentation Group: 8620 Strahlungsthermometer, Pyrometer, Thermosonden