Improving retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide from backscattered UV satellite observations L03102

Kai Yang; Nickolay A. Krotkov; Arlin J. Krueger; Simon A. Carn; Pawan K. Bhartia; Pieternel F. Levelt

doi:10.1029/2008GL036036

Improving retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide from backscattered UV satellite observations L03102

Kai Yang
, Nickolay A. Krotkov
, Arlin J. Krueger
, Simon A. Carn
, Pawan K. Bhartia
, Pieternel F. Levelt

Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Lab

University of Maryland, College Park
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Michigan Technological University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Existing algorithms that use satellite measurements of solar backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) radiances to retrieve sulfur dioxide (SO₂) vertical columns underestimate the large SO₂ amounts encountered in fresh volcanic eruption clouds. To eliminate this underestimation we have developed a new technique, named the Iterative Spectral Fitting (ISF) algorithm, for accurate retrieval of SO₂ vertical columns in the full range of volcanic emissions. The ISF algorithm is applied to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BUV measurements of the Sierra Negra eruption (Galàpagos Islands, Ecuador) in October 2005. The results represent major improvements over the operational OMI SO₂ products. Based on the ISF data, we report the largest SO₂ vertical column amount (>1000 Dobson Units (DU), where 1 DU = 2.69 × 10¹⁶ molecules/cm²) ever observed by a space borne instrument, implying that very high concentrations of SO ₂ can occur in the lower troposphere during effusive eruptions.

Original language	English
Article number	L03102
Journal	Geophysical Research Letters
Volume	36
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL036036
State	Published - Feb 16 2009

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10.1029/2008GL036036

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title = "Improving retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide from backscattered UV satellite observations L03102",

abstract = "Existing algorithms that use satellite measurements of solar backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) radiances to retrieve sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical columns underestimate the large SO2 amounts encountered in fresh volcanic eruption clouds. To eliminate this underestimation we have developed a new technique, named the Iterative Spectral Fitting (ISF) algorithm, for accurate retrieval of SO2 vertical columns in the full range of volcanic emissions. The ISF algorithm is applied to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BUV measurements of the Sierra Negra eruption (Gal{\`a}pagos Islands, Ecuador) in October 2005. The results represent major improvements over the operational OMI SO2 products. Based on the ISF data, we report the largest SO2 vertical column amount (>1000 Dobson Units (DU), where 1 DU = 2.69 × 1016 molecules/cm2) ever observed by a space borne instrument, implying that very high concentrations of SO 2 can occur in the lower troposphere during effusive eruptions.",

author = "Kai Yang and Krotkov, \{Nickolay A.\} and Krueger, \{Arlin J.\} and Carn, \{Simon A.\} and Bhartia, \{Pawan K.\} and Levelt, \{Pieternel F.\}",

year = "2009",

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doi = "10.1029/2008GL036036",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide from backscattered UV satellite observations L03102

AU - Yang, Kai

AU - Krotkov, Nickolay A.

AU - Krueger, Arlin J.

AU - Carn, Simon A.

AU - Bhartia, Pawan K.

AU - Levelt, Pieternel F.

PY - 2009/2/16

Y1 - 2009/2/16

N2 - Existing algorithms that use satellite measurements of solar backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) radiances to retrieve sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical columns underestimate the large SO2 amounts encountered in fresh volcanic eruption clouds. To eliminate this underestimation we have developed a new technique, named the Iterative Spectral Fitting (ISF) algorithm, for accurate retrieval of SO2 vertical columns in the full range of volcanic emissions. The ISF algorithm is applied to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BUV measurements of the Sierra Negra eruption (Galàpagos Islands, Ecuador) in October 2005. The results represent major improvements over the operational OMI SO2 products. Based on the ISF data, we report the largest SO2 vertical column amount (>1000 Dobson Units (DU), where 1 DU = 2.69 × 1016 molecules/cm2) ever observed by a space borne instrument, implying that very high concentrations of SO 2 can occur in the lower troposphere during effusive eruptions.

AB - Existing algorithms that use satellite measurements of solar backscattered ultraviolet (BUV) radiances to retrieve sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical columns underestimate the large SO2 amounts encountered in fresh volcanic eruption clouds. To eliminate this underestimation we have developed a new technique, named the Iterative Spectral Fitting (ISF) algorithm, for accurate retrieval of SO2 vertical columns in the full range of volcanic emissions. The ISF algorithm is applied to Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) BUV measurements of the Sierra Negra eruption (Galàpagos Islands, Ecuador) in October 2005. The results represent major improvements over the operational OMI SO2 products. Based on the ISF data, we report the largest SO2 vertical column amount (>1000 Dobson Units (DU), where 1 DU = 2.69 × 1016 molecules/cm2) ever observed by a space borne instrument, implying that very high concentrations of SO 2 can occur in the lower troposphere during effusive eruptions.

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DO - 10.1029/2008GL036036

M3 - Article

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VL - 36

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Improving retrieval of volcanic sulfur dioxide from backscattered UV satellite observations L03102

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