Remote Detection and Analysis of High Temperature Events (HTE)

Abstract

High Temperature Events (HTE), such us volcano gas emissions or forest fires, occur very frequently. They do not only cause damage to people and infrastructure, but are also contributing to global warming. There is an increasing demand to reliably detect HTE and monitor the gases they emit, which makes it possible to prevent desasters and model HTE impact on climate. However, permanent observation of wide areas can only be achieved by airborn or spaceborn measurements, so remote sensing methods are of great interest. For this reason, the Remote Sensing Technology Institute of the German Aerospace Center has designed a new and unique measurement arrangement for airborn measurements. It consists of two sensor systems: a camera system which has one visible and two IR channels, all of them featuring very high spatial resolution, and a Fourier Transform Spectrometer of very high spectral resolution. Combined evaluation of the data of the sensor systems (Data Fusion) will enable to detect HTE, classify the observed scenery and calculate vertical gas profiles. In summer 2003, measurements above Etna and Stromboli volcanos (Italy) as well as abovea forest fire near Cottbus (Germany) have been performed. First results are presented.