HR: 0830h
AN: V11C-0507    [PDF]
TI: A Satellite-Derived Global Inventory of Volcanic Thermal Emissions Into the Atmosphere
AU: * Wright, R
EM: wright@higp.hawaii.edu
AF: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 United States
AU: Flynn, L
EM: flynn@higp.hawaii.edu
AF: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI 96822 United States
AB: During the last decade an average of 60 volcanoes erupted each year, around 20 of which were erupting on any given day. Some of these, such as Erta Ale in Ethiopia, are persistently active, whereas others, such as Bezymianny in Russia, erupt more sporadically. Satellite remote sensing offers a convenient way to monitor changes in the thermal budgets of these volcanoes from space, in addition to quantifying the contribution active volcanism makes to the Earth's energy budget. Using data provided by the HIGP MODVOLC algorithm we show how the amount of heat radiated into the Earth's atmosphere by more than 50 active volcanoes has varied during 2001, 2002, and 2003. In 2001, the total amount of heat radiated into the Earth's atmosphere from these volcanoes was ~5.3 $\times 10^{16}$ J year$^{-1}$, with the total amount of heat energy perhaps as much as 9 $\times 10^{16}$ J year$^{-1}$ when heat loss by convection is taken into account. This is three orders of magnitude less that the amount of energy consumed (and, ultimately liberated into the atmosphere) by the United States of America in 1999, as a result of manufacturing, transportation and residential activities. From the geographic perspective of the authors, the amount of energy released into the atmosphere by Kilauea volcano during 2001 (2.3 $\times 10^{16}$ J year$^{-1}$) was approximately equal to the amount consumed by the State of Hawai'i for residential purposes.
UR: http://modis.higp.hawaii.edu
DE: 8400 VOLCANOLOGY
DE: 8409 Atmospheric effects (0370)
DE: 8419 Eruption monitoring (7280)
SC: Volcanology, Geochemistry, Petrology [V]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting