CNES-ESA satellite contribution to the operational monitoring of volcanic activity: The 2021 Icelandic eruption of Mt. Fagradalsfjall

Abstract

Within the framework of the CIEST2 (Cellule d'Intervention d'Expertise Scientifique et Technique new generation) and thanks to the support of CNES, the French space agency, the first phase of the Fagradalsfjall eruption was exceptionally well covered by high resolution optical satellite data, through daily acquisitions of Pléiades images in stereo mode. In this study, we show how Pléiades data provided real-time information useful for the operational monitoring of the ongoing eruption. An estimation of the volume of lava emitted as well as the corresponding effusion rate could be derived and delivered to the civil protection less than 6 h after the data acquisition. This information is complementary to and consistent with estimates obtained through the HOTVOLC service using SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager) sensor on-board Meteosat Second Generation (MGS) geostationary satellites, operated by the European Space Agency (ESA), characterized by a lower spatial resolution and a higher temporal one. In addition to the information provided on the lava emission, Pléiades data also helped characterize the intensity of the eruption by providing insight into the elevation and the velocity of the volcanic plume. The survey of this effusive eruption, well anticipated by a series of precursors, is a proof of concept of the efficiency of optical/thermal satellite data for volcanic crisis real-time monitoring.