CIMSS Satellite Blog

Himawari-8 AHI Shortwave Infrared (3.9 um) images [click to play animation]

An eruption of the Mount Pavlof volcano on the Alaska Peninsula apparently began at 0000 UTC on 28 March, as detected by a thermal anomaly (hot spot, yellow to red color enhancement) on the corresponding Himawari-8 AHI Shortwave Infrared (3.9 um) images (above). It is interesting to note on a comparison of the 0000 UTC Himawari-8 and GOES-15 Shortwave Infrared (3.9 um) images (below) the difference in the magnitude of the thermal anomaly — even though the viewing angle was larger for Himawari-8, the superior spatial resolution (2 km, compared to 4 km with GOES-15) detected a hot spot that was 36.6 K warmer. The Infrared channels on the GOES-R ABI instrument will also have a 2 km spatial resolution.

Himawari-8 AHI (left) and GOES-15 Imager (right) 3.9 um Shortwave Infrared images [click to enlarge]

The volcanic ash cloud was moving in a northeastward direction, as seen in a sequence of GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um) and either Terra/Aqua MODIS or Suomi NPP VIIRS retrieved Volcanic Ash Height products from the NOAA/CIMSS Volcanic Could Monitoring site (below).

GOES-15 Infrared (10.7 um) images, with Terra/Aqua MODIS and Suomi NPP VIIRS Ash Height products [click to play animation]

Due to the oblique satellite view angle, the shadow cast by the tall volcanic ash cloud was easily seen on early morning Himawari-8 AHI Visible (0.64 um) images (below).

Himawari-8 AHI Visible (0.64 um) images (click to play animation]

A few select Pilot reports (PIREPs) are shown below, plotted on GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um) and Aqua MODIS Ash Height derived products.

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um) image, with METAR surface reports and Pilot reports [click to enlarge]

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um) image, with METAR surface reports and Pilot reports [click to enlarge]

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um) image, with METAR surface reports and Pilot reports [click to enlarge]

Aqua MODIS Ash Height product, with METAR surface reports and Pilot reports [click to enlarge]

GOES-15 Infrared Window (10.7 um), with METAR surface reports and Pilot reports [click to enlarge]

from CIMSS Satellite Blog http://ift.tt/1RLEjkP