The Transition from MODIS to VIIRS for Global Volcano Thermal Monitoring

Abstract

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is one of the most-used sensors for monitoring volcanoes and has been providing time series of Volcanic Radiative Power (VRP) on a global scale for two decades now. In this work, we analyzed the data provided by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) by using the Middle Infrared Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) algorithm, originally developed to analyze MODIS data. The resulting VRP is compared with both the MIROVAMODIS data as well as with the Fire Radiative Power (FRP), distributed by the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS). The analysis on 9 active volcanoes reveals that VIIRS data analyzed with the MIROVA algorithm allows detecting ~60% more alerts than MODIS, due to a greater number of overpasses (+30%) and improved quality of VIIRS radiance data. Furthermore, the comparison with the nighttime FIRMS database indicates greater effectiveness of the MIROVA algorithm in detecting low-intensity (<10 MW) thermal anomalies (up to 90% more alerts than FIRMS). These results confirm the great potential of VIIRS to complement, replace and improve MODIS capabilities for global volcano thermal monitoring, because of the future end of Terra and Aqua Earth-observing satellite mission of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA).

Thermal unrest of a fumarolic field tracked using VIIRS imaging bands: The case of La fossa crater (Vulcano Island, Italy)

“…In this work, we have elaborated 7,723 nighttime images acquired above La Fossa volcano between 19 January 2012 and 15 July 2022 (Figure 2). The data have been elaborated by applying Frontiers in Earth Science frontiersin.org the MIROVA algorithm to the VIIRS Imaging Bands, following the procedure already used for MODIS (Coppola et al, 2015) and VIIRS (Campus et al, 2022) bands, at 1 km and 750 m resolution, respectively. Thanks to the improved spatial resolution of the Imaging Bands, the algorithm allowed to detect thermal anomalies over La Fossa volcano (as the one shown in Figure 1C), otherwise undetected using MODIS (1 km) and VIIRS (750 m).…”

Lava flow daily monitoring: the case of the 19 September–5 October 2022 eruption at Piton de la Fournaise

“…The satellite-retrieved TADR time series shows a well-known pattern of Piton de la Fournaise eruptions with an exponential decrease over the first days and an increase near the end of the eruption [Coppola et al 2016;Campus et al 2022]. This trend is characterized by 4 main phases: i) an initial (19 September) TADR peaking at about 30 m 3 s −1 (maximum value is measured by HOTVOLC) that sharply declined to less than 5 m 3 s −1 in 24 h; ii) an intermediate (20-29 September) phase lasting about 9-10 days in which the TADR remained almost stable at 2-5 m 3 s −1 ; iii) a third phase (29 September-02 Octo- * The name Piton Tikal was chosen because the cone strongly resembles its neighbor Piton Kalla et Pellé.…”

“…The last image was acquired on 08 October, after the end of the eruption, and showed remaining areas of hot lava but it was not used to determine the flow outline (Supplementary Material FigureS2).Middle infrared (MIR) data were acquired with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), which together provide about eight images per day (two nighttime and two daytime images per sensor). Both the sensors-retrieved data were processed by the Middle Infrared Observations of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) system developed at the University of Turin, Italy *[Coppola et al 2016;Campus et al 2022]. MIROVA allows the heat radiated by the lava flow to be quantified at the time of the satellite acquisition and to be converted into Time-Averaged Discharge Rate (TADR)[Coppola et al 2013; with an uncertainty of ±35%[Harris et al 2017;…”

Volcanic crisis management supported by near real-time lava flow hazard assessment at Piton de la Fournaise, La Réunion

“…In the meantime it is possible to increase the temporal frequency and spatial resolution of thermal images through multi-platform data analysis [Harris et al 1998]. For example, the implementation of VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) data within the MIROVA system will double the number of daily images useful for an accurate estimate of TADR [Campus et al 2022]. Similarly, the analysis of high-spatial-resolution images, such as those from Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 and 9 will increase the probability of obtaining maps useful for locating the vents and active lava fronts.…”