This year’s largest volcanic eruption to date took place on April 10 when Shiveluch volcano on Kamchatka Peninsula erupted at 13:49 UTC. The UV spectrometer TROPOMI on board Europe’s Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite recorded for the first time the massive volcanic cloud of sulphur dioxide (SO2) one day after the first eruption. S5P measurements are processed around the clock at EOC, so a record of the trend of volcanic emissions can be continuously provided.
According to the Kamchatka Volcanological Station (KVS) the first signs of increased activity at Shiveluch volcano were noted already on March 28, 2023. At 00:54 o’clock on April 10, 2023 seismic measurements revealed a significant upsurge of activity and there was an explosive eruption with a massive gas cloud that rose to an altitude of ca. 16 km and rapidly expanded over an area of 108,000 square kilometres, a surface as large as the combined areas of the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Cities and villages in the vicinity were covered with a layer of ash several centimetres thick, according to Reuters. Air traffic is seriously endangered – several warnings, so-called VONA (Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation), were issued immediately after the eruption by the Volcanic Advisory Center (VAAC). The VONA “red” alert is in effect. According to media sources a restricted area of 15 km diameter has been established around the volcano.
Since Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) always takes its measurements around 13:30 o’clock local time, the extensive SO2 cloud caused by the eruption could be measured by the TROPOMI instrument for the first time only on April 11. The UVN spectrometer TROPOMI has a spatial resolution of 3.5 × 5.5 kilometres and monitors daily worldwide in addition to SO2 also other atmospheric trace gases, such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Thanks to the measurements, not only the size, altitude and density of the SO2 cloud, but also its total mass, ca. 124,000 tonnes, just about the weight of 90,000 automobiles, could also be determined, among other characteristics. The cloud is moving eastward and on April 13 was over the Aleutian Islands, with offshoots over Alaska. The measurements are being continually analysed.
The EOC project INPULS analyses TROPOMI data, conceives various additional data products, and makes them available to the public. Among other information, monitoring volcanic SO2 emissions provides valuable indications of the presence of volcanic ash in the atmosphere that could be dangerous for air traffic since it can lead to engine failure.
The image shows the extent of the SO2 cloud generated by the Shiveluch volcanic eruption on Kamchatka as recorded during the night of April 13/14, 2023.