Skip to content

Enhancing Satellite-Based Volcanic Lakes Monitoring with the VRPᴛɪʀ: A Novel Approach to Quantifying Radiative Power using Thermal InfraRed (TIR) Data

Simone Aveni 1,2, Sophie Pailot-Bonnétat3, Dmitri Rouwet4, Andrew Harris3, Diego Coppola2

  • Affiliations:  1Department of Civil, Constructional and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 6 18, 00184 Rome, Italy; 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Turin, Italy; 3Laboratoire Magmas Et Volcans, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, IRD, OPGC, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France; 4Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 6/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy

  • Presentation type: Talk

  • Presentation time: Friday 09:30 - 09:45, Room S150

  • Programme No: 6.8.5

  • Theme 6 > Session 8

Abstract

Volcanic crater lakes are present at over 15% of Holocene volcanoes and account for ~15% of volcanic eruption-related fatalities, despite hosting only ~3.5% of recorded eruptions. Monitoring physical variations in these lakes is crucial for the early detection of volcanic resurgence. However, their hazardous, gas-rich, and corrosive environments make continuous ground-based monitoring impractical, leading to significant gaps, or complete lack, of data. Thermal InfraRed (TIR) satellite data offer a risk-free alternative to monitor these systems. TIR-based radiative power measurements can reveal subtle variations in thermal outputs that anticipate rapidly escalating volcanic phenomena. Yet, traditional methods for estimating radiative power either target high-temperature features or underestimate outputs from low-to- moderate-temperature systems by up to ~90%. We here present the results from applying the TIRVolcH algorithm to globally selected crater lakes and introduce the TIR-based Volcanic Radiative Power (VRPTIR). This novel method accurately quantifies radiative power for systems dominated by temperatures ≤600 K, using single-band TIR radiance (10.5--12 µm), with an uncertainty of ±35%. VRPTIR enables the detection of subtle variations in volcanic thermal activity, providing critical insights into baseline behaviour and transitions to unrest. Its global applicability and integration with targeted measurements and modelling make it a vital tool for hazard mitigation and advancing the understanding of volcanic lake processes. By improving the accuracy of radiative power retrievals, VRPTIR supports the development of long-term global inventories of volcanic energy loss, offering a key contribution to multidisciplinary approaches for volcanic lake monitoring.