Topic 4c - Part 2: Monitoring volcanic emissions - Case studies & the role of VAACs
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) have specialist forecasters who produce volcanic ash advisories and guidance products using a combination of volcano data; satellite-based, ground-based and aircraft observations; weather forecast models and dispersion models.
There are a number of VAACs around the world including London, which is part of the Met Office, and Toulouse which is part of Météo-France.
Featured Educator
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Dr Seppo Hassinen
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Dr Philippe Hereil
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Ian Lisk
Don’t forget you can download the video, transcript and take any quizzes available with the links on the right.
Optional Further Reading
Interactive Apps
The satellites featured in this topic are as follows:
Meteosat-8; Meteosat-9; Meteosat-10; Meteosat-11;
You can also use the drop-down menu in the app to view these satellites.
Images
Composite image of maximum observed SO2 columns for the period 20 May to 30 June 2011. The value for each grid cell equals the maximum observed SO2 columns in that grid cell for the given time period during which three major volcanic eruptions took place. Grimsvotn ( ¨ −17.33◦, 64.42◦) erupted first on 21 May, then Puyehue-Cordon Caulle ( ´ −40.59◦, −72.12◦) on 3 June and finally Nabro (13.37◦, 41.70◦) on 12 June. A plume altitude of 10 km was assumed.
Clarisse, et al, 2012
Illustration of British Airways plane flying through a cloud of volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Galunggung on 24th June 1982.
CC
Examples and diagram of the effects of ash on jet engines
M. Dunn & D.Wade
