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UP: Fachverband Umweltphysik
UP 1: Poster Session
UP 1.26: Poster
Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 18:30–20:30, P2
Observation of the volcanic plume of Eyjafjallajökull over continental Europe by MAX-DOAS — •S. Yilmaz1, N. Bobrowski1, H. Flentje2, U. Frieß1, C. Hörmann1,3, C. Kern4, H. Sihler1,3, T. Wagner3, and U. Platt1 — 1IUP, University of Heidelberg, Germany — 2DWD, Hohenpeissenberg, Germany — 3MPI, Mainz, Germany — 4USGS, Vancouver, USA
The recent eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano (Iceland) and the emitted ash plume which disrupted commercial air traffic over Europe has led to an exhaustive debate on how to improve our ability to quantitatively determine the ash load in the atmosphere as a function of time and geographical location. Satellite instruments detecting ash and SO2 and ground-based LIDAR stations can help constrain atmospheric transport and meteorology models used to predict ash dispersion. However, MAX-DOAS represents an additional tool with considerable potential for the quantitative detection of elevated volcanic ash and SO2 plumes. It performs especially well during weather conditions in which satellites and LIDARs are impeded in their effectiveness, e.g. in the case of dense clouds above or below the plume, respectively. Here, the advantages and disadvantages of the DOAS technique are discussed, and its potential for monitoring of volcanic ash hazards explored. Results of ash and SO2 measurements of the Eyjafjallajökull plume as it passed over Heidelberg are presented as an example of a positive detection of a highly diluted volcanic plume. Their low cost and complementary nature makes MAX-DOAS a promising technology in the field of aviation hazard detection and management.