Home
News
Archives
Retrieval
Publications
Personnel
Links
TOMS Volcanic Emissions Home Page

TOMS Volcano Data Products

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Ash and Aerosols

These false-color images are from the June 16, 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines. The gas and ash clouds were tracked by TOMS for several weeks as they encircled the Earth. These satellite observations demonstrate the enormous amounts of gas and ash emitted, as well as details such as differences in peak concentrations and geographic extent. TOMS also detects many smaller volcanic clouds - see the archive for a full list of eruptions detected to date.

This website documents the efforts of the TOMS SO2 and Ash Group, based at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, to detect, track and measure volcanic eruption plumes from space. We also collaborate with researchers and students in the Volcanic Clouds study group at Michigan Technological University. Our group uses satellite data from Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instruments to map and quantify sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) emitted by volcanoes. We also use the TOMS instruments to map volcanic ash and aerosol emissions, using an "aerosol index". The aerosol index locates absorbing and non-absorbing aerosol clouds, which include volcanic ash clouds, sulfate aerosol, dust, and smoke clouds; however, at present it cannot discriminate among the absorbing species.
It is possible for anyone to follow volcanic clouds in near real time with TOMS, thanks to George Stephens and associates at NOAA. This site contains both sulfur dioxide and aerosol index data. For more information about TOMS aerosol retrievals (and ozone and other non-volcanic products such as UVB), as well as a description of each of the TOMS missions, see the TOMS project web page.
NASA GSFC This page currently maintained by: Dr. Simon Carn (Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County) & Dr. Gregg Bluth (Dept. of Geological Engineeering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University)
Responsible NASA/UMBC Official: Dr. Arlin Krueger (Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County)
Last Modified: April 22, 2002		 NOAA