CPTEC/INPE Tracks Chilean Volcano Plume

Hello reader!

It follows one communicates published in english on the day (20/06) in the website of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) noting that the Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies Center (CPTEC in Portuguese) have tracked ash plume images of the Chilean Volcano called Puyehue-Cordón Caulle.

Duda Falcão

CPTEC/INPE Tracks Chilean Volcano Plume

20/06/2011

Since early June, Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies Center (CPTEC) in the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) have tracked ash plume images of the Chilean Volcano called Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. The Volcano has been spewing gases like C02 and SO2, water vapor and particles. It has affected the airline industry in South America, including southern Brazil, and Oceania countries. In this period, the plume crossed the globe and has now reached the west coast of South America CPTEC/INPE has been monitoring the phenomenon by two ways: through the Satellite and Environmental Systems Department (DSA) and through the Air Quality Modeling Group, from Modeling and Development Department (DMD).

DSA has developed animated satellite images updated every 15 minutes in your webpage (satelite.cptec.inpe.br/vulcao) to show the ash trajectory over South American and African Continent, also ash spread around the Volcano due artificial coloring (through infra-red and visible channels). It is a live transmission of volcanic ash images provided by Volcanological Observatory of Southern Andes.

On the other hand, Quality Air Group has been forecasting ash trajectory based on emission model developed along with Geophysics Institute of Alaska and NOAA from Colorado, U.S. The ash and SO2 spewed are within the transport model CATT-BRAMS, which simulates these materials transport. Such forecasts, with 24 hours notice, are generated by the air quality model CATT-BRAMS and use observed meteorological data obtained by CPTEC/INPE. It has produced good results when compared to satellite images, according to researcher Saulo Freitas.

Satellite image on June 7, when the ash

plume blow over Southern Brazil

Source: WebSite of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE)