HR: 0800h
AN: H31E-1347    [Abstracts]
TI: Mapping Recent Lava and Pyroclastic Flows at Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica, Using Medium-Footprint, Waveform-Recording Airborne Lidar
AU: * Hofton, M A
EM: mhofton@umd.edu
AF: University of Maryland, Department of Geography, College Park, MD 20742 United States
AU: Blair, J B
EM: james.b.blair@nasa.gov
AF: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laser Remote Sensing Laboratory, Code 694, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Rabine, D L
EM: david@ltpmail.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Science Systems and Applications Inc., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AU: Greim, H
EM: hannes@cornfed.gsfc.nasa.gov
AF: Sigma Space, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 United States
AB: Arenal volcano is a small (1.1 km in height), young stratovolcano in Costa Rica. Since 1968, when a lateral explosion occurred causing 78 deaths, the volcano has remained continuously active, with Strombolian eruptions, blocky lava flows, pyroclastic flows, and a permanent lava lake since 1974. In 1998 and 2005, NASA's Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) was used to collect wide-swath 3-dimensional topographic images of the volcano. The LVIS is a full-waveform, scanning, medium-sized footprint airborne laser altimeter (also referred to as lidar) system. By digitally recording the shape of the returning laser pulse (waveform), the LVIS provides a precise and accurate view of both the sub-canopy and canopy-top topographies as well as the vertical and horizontal structure of vegetation at a horizontal resolution of 25 m. By comparing georeferenced waveform data collected in 1998 and 2005, as well as products derived from the laser waveform such as sub-canopy topography and canopy top topography, we map lava and pyroclastic flows deposited from 1998 to 2005. The thickness of the lava flows is estimated as well as the magnitude of any corresponding surface elevation and canopy change. As in situ measurements of lava height at flow edges are not representative of the total flow thickness, precise elevation data such as those provided by the LVIS are essential to calculate eruption volume and to study magma-supply dynamics. This study is an example of how air- and space-borne lidar can play a significant role in studying volcanoes in remote areas.
UR: http://lvis.gsfc.nasa.gov
DE: 1294 Instruments and techniques
DE: 1640 Remote sensing (1855)
DE: 8194 Instruments and techniques
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005