Satellites can track volcanic emissions including sulphur dioxide and volcanic ash in the atmosphere. Occasionally, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres around the world issue warnings about areas where volcanic ash clouds have reached to levels where aircraft operate. Satellite data sets can be used to model the size of the ash cloud and its movement. Modified aircraft were used to supplement satellite data to measure the ash cloud produced by Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, which caused severe disruption to air traffic in Europe. Some airlines contested the complete closure of airspace during the ash cloud incident and wanted more specific information about the cloud, and its potential danger to aeroplanes to try to limit how long their planes had to be grounded.

We saw in week 1 how earthquake damage in San Francisco in 1906 was examined by taking photographs from the air. Earthquake damage can now often be seen from satellite imagery. The large earthquakes that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and the tsunami in Japan in 2011 have been studied by combining satellite imagery, GPS, seismographs, and damage reports on the ground to try to understand better why they were so damaging.

In the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, first responder organisations need up-to-date map information. Earthquakes and tsunamis mean that maps are instantly out of date – a new map from satellite data, even if it is not as refined as later versions will be, can be vital for working out how to get relief to remote or newly isolated regions. Organisations such as Map Action and the Red Cross use experts in geographical information systems to help with immediate response to natural disasters.

Featured Experts:

• Dr Mathias Disney

• Dr Maria Fabrizia Buongiorno

View featured satellites on the satellite tracking app

• Sentinel-2

• UK-DMC

Don’t forget you can download the video, transcript and take any quizzes available with the links on the right.