University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	December 7, 1998
Contact: Donnë Florence, PIO, 808-956-7522 Luke Flynn, 808-956-3154, in San Francisco: see end of this release

University of Hawai'i Scientists Study Volcanic Eruptions from Space By using a satellite as a long-distance thermometer, scientists from the University of Hawai'i were able to see signs of an impending volcanic eruption from space for the first time. "We've never had a way to remotely monitor volcanoes for impending eruptions," said Luke Flynn, a volcanologist from the University of Hawai'i. The research, supported by the State of Hawai'i and NASA's Earth Observing System, will be presented Dec. 7 and 10 at the Fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. On May 20, a Guatemalan volcano named Pacaya erupted an ash cloud that blanketed Guatemala City and the local airport 30 kilometers (19 miles) away. University of Hawai'i scientists saw it coming. Seven days before the eruption, the volcano started to heat up. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite saw the heat in the form of radiation. And an automated computer system at the University of Hawai'i acted as an eruption alarm by picking the hot spot out of the satellite data. University of Hawai'i researchers Andrew Harris, Eric Pilger, and Harold Garbeil, along with Flynn, developed the new processing technique that allows data from two Geostationary Environmental Satellites (GOES) to go straight to the web via the UH computer within about 11 minutes. The system has been used in Hawai'i for the past two years to monitor fires and lava flows. The main advantage of using the GOES satellite is that a volcano or fire-prone area can be imaged every 15 minutes. Satellite data are received and pre-processed at the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterrey, California. Data are then forwarded electronically to UH, where they are processed to detect hot spots before being placed on the web. Anyone with an Internet connection can view the UH Hot Spot Image site from anywhere in the world. Having accessible data available in near real-time is a great benefit to hazard mitigation agencies. The US Geological Survey's Hawai'i Volcano Observatory uses the UH Hot Spot Image web site to determine start and stop times for eruptions on Kilauea and to investigate claims of new eruptions on Mauna Loa. Popocatepetl volcano, which lies on the outskirts of densely populated Mexico City, is currently in a state of unrest. On November 24, 1998, local observers reported a moderate-sized eruptive event at 8:02 a.m. (local time) which was detected by the system at 8:03 a.m. On Sept. 15, UH researcher Chris Okubo, who designed much of the web graphics and constantly monitors site activity, noted the start of an eruption in the remote Galapagos Island chain. "We saw the eruption three hours before the scientists on the ground," said Peter Mouginis-Mark, team leader for the EOS Volcanology investigation. The Hawaiian team notified the director of the Darwin Research Station on a nearby island about the possibility of an eruption. "Because it's a fragile ecosystem, the wildlife was of great concern," said Mouginis-Mark. The University of Hawai'i Hot Spot Image web site displays geographic locations and thermal intensities for eruptions and fires at twelve different sites. In addition to the Hawaiian volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa, the UH computer monitors volcanoes in Montserrat, Northern Chile, Guatemala, Central and Western Mexico, and the Galapagos Islands. The UH system has also been used to monitor fires in Florida, California, and Hawai'i, and continually monitors a section of the Amazon rainforest where there is on-going burning due to deforestation. The GOES data need careful interpretation because sometimes GOES detects features that are not related to volcanoes or fires, such as cloud effects or areas of solar heated ground. "We are simply providing a widely accessible tool to view eruptions and fires in real time. We leave the final decision of whether or not an eruption is in progress to the experienced scientists at the respective observatories," Flynn said. For more information: http://volcano1.pgd.hawaii.edu/ Press Room and Briefing Room at AGU Meeting The Moscone Convention Center is at 747 Howard Street (between 3rd and 4th Streets), San Francisco, CA 94103-3181. The Press Room is Room 111 and the Briefing Room is Room 112. The phone number of the Press Room is 415-905-1007. Messages will be taken at this number for registered media representatives and PIOs whenever the room is open. The fax number is (415) 905-1008.

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