NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

Our project focused on the investigation of the post-eruption hazards at Mt. Pinatubo (Philippines) using remote sensing
data, and field observations of the 1991 eruption deposits. Through the use of multiple satellite images, field work, and the
1996/2000 PacRim data sets, we conducted studies of the co- and post-eruption hazards of the volcano due to erosion and
re-deposition of the extensive pyroclastic flow deposits. A major part of this project was the assembly and analysis of a
database of over 50 high resolution (1 - 50 m/pixel) images that will facilitate this study. We collected Ikonos, SPOT,
SIR-C/X-SAR, Landsat, ERS, RADARSAT, and ASTER images of the area around Mt. Pinatubo. An example of the changes
that could be seen in these data is shown. Our investigation focused on a retrospective analysis of the erosion, redeposition,
and re-vegetation of the 1991 pyroclastic flow deposits of Mt. Pinatubo. The primary geologic goal of our work was the
analysis of the spatial distribution and volume change of the sources and sinks of materials associated with mudflow (’lahar’)
events. This included the measurement of river valley gradients and cross-sections using TOPSAR digital elevation data, as
we are participating in the PacRim 2000 deployment to the Philippines specifically so that we can collect a second set of
TOPSAR data that can then be used to create a topographic difference image of the volcano. The main results from this
multi-sensor study have been published as Torres et al.. A discussion of the methodology that we used to assemble an
appropriate database was included in Mouginis-Mark and Domergue-Schmidt. As part of an educational outreach effort, we
also helped the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in the Philippines to use NASA data to study
Mt. Pinatubo and other Filipino volcanoes.
Author (revised)
Volcanoes; Volcanic Eruptions; Satellite Imagery; Remote Sensing; Multisensor Applications
20040120954 NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
Seasonal Surface Spectral Emissivity Derived from Terra MODIS Data
Sun-Mack, Sunny; Chen, Yan; Minnis, Patrick; Young, DavidF.; Smith, William J., Jr.; [2004]; 7 pp.; In English; 13th
Conference on Satellite Meteorology and Oceanoraphy, 20-24 Sep. 2004, Norfolk, VA, USA; Original contains color
illustrations
Contract(s)/Grant(s): 621-30-96
Report No.(s): P8.10; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy
The CERES (Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System) Project is measuring broadband shortwave and longwave
radiances and deriving cloud properties form various images to produce a combined global radiation and cloud property data
set. In this paper, simultaneous data from Terra MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) taken at 3.7, 8.5,
11.0, and 12.0 m are used to derive the skin temperature and the surface emissivities at the same wavelengths. The
methodology uses separate measurements of clear sky temperature in each channel determined by scene classification during
the daytime and at night. The relationships between the various channels at night are used during the day when solar
reflectance affects the 3.7- m radiances. A set of simultaneous equations is then solved to derive the emissivities. Global
monthly emissivity maps are derived from Terra MODIS data while numerical weather analyses provide soundings for
correcting the observed radiances for atmospheric absorption. These maps are used by CERES and other cloud retrieval
algorithms.
Derived from text
MODIS (Radiometry); Spectral Emission; Prediction Analysis Techniques
47
METEOROLOGY AND CLIMATOLOGY
Includes weather observation forecasting and modification.
20040111176 Arctic Research Commission, Arlington, VA, USA
Arctic Ocean and Climate Change: A Scenario for the US Navy
Brass, G. W.; 2002; 22 pp.; In English
Report No.(s): PB2004-107234; ARC/SP-02-1; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
At a meeting held at the Naval Ice Center on 7 July, 2000 with representatives from the National/Naval Ice Center, the
Oceanographer of the Navy (N096), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), MEDEA, the Arctic Research Commission, and
U.S. Coast Guard the national and strategic issues surrounding operations in an ice-free, or ice-diminished Arctic were framed.
It was recommended that a forum be established to evaluate the Naval implications of operating in an ice-free Arctic. In order
for this forum to succeed it was deemed essential that the views of nationally recognized experts on Arctic climate change be
presented to the Navy in order to assure a sound scientific basis for future planning. The US Arctic Research Commission
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