SO503, Spring 2007

Lab, Satellite Monitoring of Volcanic Events

We will consider Anatahan Volcano at 16.35°N, 145.67°E

• http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cnmi/
• http://www.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/marianas_anatahan.html  (interesting even if irrelevant)

If you would like to try a different volcano, you can go to http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/current_volcs/current.html .  Insure that the one you want is covered by the MODIS data described below.

You will collect three data sets to make your analysis.  The help file for the MICRODEM program give directions on downloading, manipulating, and storing this imagery.

• MODIS rapid response imagery: http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/  has near daily images since 2005054.  You can look up "MODIS" in the MICRODEM help file.
• Earthquake activity:  http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/epic/epic.html Select a "Rectangular area" around the volcano. We will convert this in Excel into a format that will display atop the imagery and the topography.  You can look up "Excel" in the MICRODEM help file.
• SRTM topography at ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/SRTM3/ where the files are named for the SW corner. You can look up "SRTM (3")" in the MICRODEM help file.

Requirements:

• Prepare a table with any earthquakes located on the island, and the 5 closest earthquakes to the island during the period with satellite monitoring. 
• Collect satellite imagery close to the dates of the 5 earthquakes, and assess whether you see any sign of volcanic activity.  Make these a figure(s) with a correct legend.
• Plot the earthquakes atop the topography, and make a figure with correct legend.
• Discuss whether your results are better or worse than that reported in the EOS paper, using the correct scientific style and references.  This should be in the style of the discussion section of a scientific paper.