3D Reconstruction of Volcanic Ash Clouds Using Simulated Satellite Imagery

Author(s):  
Tom Etchells ◽  
Lucy Berthoud ◽  
Andrew Calway ◽  
Matthew Watson

<p>Volcanic ash suspended in the atmosphere can pose a significant hazard to aviation, with the potential to cause severe damage or shutdown of jet engines. Forecasts of ash contaminated airspace are generated using atmospheric transportation and dispersion models, among the inputs to these models are eruption source parameters such as cloud-top height and cloud volume. A potential method to measure these source parameters is space carving – a technique to generate 3D hull reconstructions of clouds using multi-angle imagery.</p><p>This paper investigates the potential for 3D space carving reconstruction using multi-angle satellite imagery.  This builds on previous work where the authors have applied this technique to ground-based and drone-based imagery. A satellite-based imaging platform has advantages such as global coverage and being safely removed from any damaging effects of a volcanic eruption. However, the accuracy of any potential reconstruction will be affected by the distances and restricted viewing angles of a satellite in orbit.</p><p>To assess the general suitability of a satellite-based system for reconstruction, as well as different configurations of the system, a method for simulating satellite imagery and applying a space carving reconstruction scheme was developed. This method allows the analysis of the effects of orbital dynamics (altitude, inclination, etc.), spatial resolutions, and imaging rates on the efficacy of the 3D reconstruction of ash clouds. The model utilises an input ‘ground-truth’ voxel-based plume model as the imaging target and generates simulated satellite images based on the user defined orbital and camera properties. These simulated images are then used for reconstruction and the resultant plume can be compared against the ground-truth model.</p><p>A range of possible observation schemes (controlling number and distribution of images and limits on viewing angles) have been modelled over a range of possible orbital paths and the accuracy of the space carving reconstruction has been measured. Spatial resolution limits for the accurate reconstruction of various plume sizes can be calculated. Limitations of the model are presented, including the sensitivity to the size and shape of the input plume model and the impact of the perfect feature identification in the simulated images. Further work includes the use of additional input models and improvements and validation of the image simulation method.</p><p>The methods presented in this study demonstrate the potential of satellite-based 3D reconstruction methods in the forecasting of ash dispersion, leading to potential improvements in airspace management and aviation safety.</p>

2013 ◽  
Vol 311 ◽  
pp. 153-157
Author(s):  
Xing Gao ◽  
Ning Yu ◽  
Ming Hong Liao

Online rapid three-dimensional reconstruction is widely applied in virtual reality, heritage preservation, bio-engineering and architectural fields. The error caused by image quality or manual import is the main reason for the low quality of model details when applying current reconstruction methods while meeting the time premise. To solve this problem, the paper proposes a fast and smooth carving algorithm for online 3d reconstruction by joining the filter. By applying the method, you can get a more realistic and smooth three-dimensional reconstruction results. First, we convert the input point cloud to meshes through Delaunay tetrahedralisation. Then we reconstruct the model with the space carving algorithm with the filter to obtain the result. The experiment result shows our method exceeds existing methods while meeting the time constraints under the premise at the same time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhixuan Cao ◽  
Marcus Bursik ◽  
Qingyuan Yang ◽  
Abani Patra

Volcanic ash transport and dispersion (VATD) models simulate atmospheric transport of ash from a volcanic source represented by parameterized concentration of ash with height. Most VATD models represent the volcanic plume source as a simple line with a parameterized ash emission rate as a function of height, constrained only by a total mass eruption rate (MER) for a given total rise height. However, the actual vertical ash distribution in volcanic plumes varies from case to case, having complex dependencies on eruption source parameters, such as grain size, speed at the vent, vent size, buoyancy flux, and atmospheric conditions. We present here for the first time the use of a three-dimensional (3D) plume model based on conservation laws to represent the ash cloud source without any prior assumption or simplification regarding plume geometry. By eliminating assumed behavior associated with a parameterized plume geometry, the predictive skill of VATD simulations is improved. We use our recently developed volcanic plume model based on a 3D smoothed-particle hydrodynamic Lagrangian method and couple the output to a standard Lagrangian VATD model. We apply the coupled model to the Pinatubo eruption in 1991 to illustrate the effectiveness of the approach. Our investigation reveals that initial particle distribution in the vertical direction, including within the umbrella cloud, has more impact on the long-range transport of ash clouds than does the horizontal distribution. Comparison with satellite data indicates that the 3D model-based distribution of ash particles through the depth of the volcanic umbrella cloud, which is much lower than the observed maximum plume height, produces improved long-range VATD simulations. We thus show that initial conditions have a significant impact on VATD, and it is possible to obtain a better estimate of initial conditions for VATD simulations with deterministic, 3D forward modeling of the volcanic plume. Such modeling may therefore provide a path to better forecasts lessening the need for user intervention, or attempts to observe details of an eruption that are beyond the resolution of any potential satellite or ground-based technique, or a posteriori creating a history of ash emission height via inversion.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Etchells ◽  
Lucy Berthoud ◽  
Kieran Wood ◽  
Andrew Calway ◽  
Matt Watson

<p>Large volcanic eruptions can pose significant hazards over a range of domains. One such hazard is volcanic ash becoming suspended in the atmosphere. This can lead to significant risks to aviation, with the potential to cause severe or critical damage to jet engines. As such, the effective measurement and forecasting of ash contaminated airspace is of vital importance. Forecasts are generally produced using volcanic ash atmospheric transportation and dispersion models (ATDMs). Among the inputs to these models are eruption source parameters such as cloud-top height and cloud volume. One method of providing estimates of these source parameters, and to aid in characterising the size, shape, and distribution of a volcanic plume, is the reconstruction of the outer hull of the plume using multi-angle imagery.</p><p>When considering platforms for generating this imagery, satellites provide a range of advantages. These include the potential for global coverage, the wide range of viewing angles during an orbital pass, and being safely removed from any potential volcanic hazards. This method of plume reconstruction has been previously demonstrated by the authors using simulated satellite imagery of a model volcanic plume. However, the simple model plume used during this previous work was static and did not evolve with time, an assumption that is not realistic.</p><p>This presentation builds on the previous work and assess the efficacy of satellite imagery-based plume reconstruction under conditions closer to real-world, namely with a plume that is evolving with time. The time evolving plume model is produced via a Blender particle simulation. The images required for reconstruction are then generated at multiple user-determined time intervals and locations. A Space Carving reconstruction method is then applied to the imagery to generate the reconstructed plume. Performance and reconstruction accuracies are investigated by comparison of the reconstructed plume with the ‘ground-truth’ simulation model. The impacts of a range of variables on the reconstruction performance are investigated, including plume size, imager properties, satellite orbit, and the use of additional satellites. The accuracy of the Blender plume simulation is compared with more mature plume simulations such as the University of Bristol PlumeRise model. These comparison models were not themselves used for the reconstruction process due to issues with the generation of accurate imagery.</p><p>The improved simulation environment presented in this work further demonstrates the efficacy of a satellite-based reconstruction process for the measurement and forecasting of volcanic ash, potentially leading to improvements in hazard monitoring and aviation safety.</p>


Author(s):  
Adriana Verschoor ◽  
Ronald Milligan ◽  
Suman Srivastava ◽  
Joachim Frank

We have studied the eukaryotic ribosome from two vertebrate species (rabbit reticulocyte and chick embryo ribosomes) in several different electron microscopic preparations (Fig. 1a-d), and we have applied image processing methods to two of the types of images. Reticulocyte ribosomes were examined in both negative stain (0.5% uranyl acetate, in a double-carbon preparation) and frozen hydrated preparation as single-particle specimens. In addition, chick embryo ribosomes in tetrameric and crystalline assemblies in frozen hydrated preparation have been examined. 2D averaging, multivariate statistical analysis, and classification methods have been applied to the negatively stained single-particle micrographs and the frozen hydrated tetramer micrographs to obtain statistically well defined projection images of the ribosome (Fig. 2a,c). 3D reconstruction methods, the random conical reconstruction scheme and weighted back projection, were applied to the negative-stain data, and several closely related reconstructions were obtained. The principal 3D reconstruction (Fig. 2b), which has a resolution of 3.7 nm according to the differential phase residual criterion, can be compared to the images of individual ribosomes in a 2D tetramer average (Fig. 2c) at a similar resolution, and a good agreement of the general morphology and of many of the characteristic features is seen.Both data sets show the ribosome in roughly the same ’view’ or orientation, with respect to the adsorptive surface in the electron microscopic preparation, as judged by the agreement in both the projected form and the distribution of characteristic density features. The negative-stain reconstruction reveals details of the ribosome morphology; the 2D frozen-hydrated average provides projection information on the native mass-density distribution within the structure. The 40S subunit appears to have an elongate core of higher density, while the 60S subunit shows a more complex pattern of dense features, comprising a rather globular core, locally extending close to the particle surface.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Schmitt ◽  
Ruzica Vujasinovic ◽  
Christiane Edinger ◽  
Julia Zillies ◽  
Vilmar Mollwitz

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey D. Kline ◽  
Alissa Moses ◽  
David Azuma ◽  
Andrew Gray

Abstract Forestry professionals are concerned about how forestlands are affected by residential and other development. To address those concerns, researchers must find appropriate data with which to describe and evaluate rates and patterns of forestland development and the impact of development on the management of remaining forestlands. We examine land use data gathered from Landsat imagery for western Washington and evaluate its usefulness for characterizing low-density development of forestland. We evaluate the accuracy of the satellite imagery‐based land use classifications by comparing them with other data from US Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis inventories and the US census. We then use the data to estimate an econometric model describing development as a function of socioeconomic and topographic factors and project future rates of development and forestland loss to 2020. We conclude by discussing how best to meet the land use data needs of researchers, forestry policymakers, and managers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Engwell ◽  
L. Mastin ◽  
A. Tupper ◽  
J. Kibler ◽  
P. Acethorp ◽  
...  

AbstractUnderstanding the location, intensity, and likely duration of volcanic hazards is key to reducing risk from volcanic eruptions. Here, we use a novel near-real-time dataset comprising Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAAs) issued over 10 years to investigate global rates and durations of explosive volcanic activity. The VAAs were collected from the nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) worldwide. Information extracted allowed analysis of the frequency and type of explosive behaviour, including analysis of key eruption source parameters (ESPs) such as volcanic cloud height and duration. The results reflect changes in the VAA reporting process, data sources, and volcanic activity through time. The data show an increase in the number of VAAs issued since 2015 that cannot be directly correlated to an increase in volcanic activity. Instead, many represent increased observations, including improved capability to detect low- to mid-level volcanic clouds (FL101–FL200, 3–6 km asl), by higher temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution satellite sensors. Comparison of ESP data extracted from the VAAs with the Mastin et al. (J Volcanol Geotherm Res 186:10–21, 2009a) database shows that traditional assumptions used in the classification of volcanoes could be much simplified for operational use. The analysis highlights the VAA data as an exceptional resource documenting global volcanic activity on timescales that complement more widely used eruption datasets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
An Zheng ◽  
Michael Lamkin ◽  
Yutong Qiu ◽  
Kevin Ren ◽  
Alon Goren ◽  
...  

Abstract Background A major challenge in evaluating quantitative ChIP-seq analyses, such as peak calling and differential binding, is a lack of reliable ground truth data. Accurate simulation of ChIP-seq data can mitigate this challenge, but existing frameworks are either too cumbersome to apply genome-wide or unable to model a number of important experimental conditions in ChIP-seq. Results We present ChIPs, a toolkit for rapidly simulating ChIP-seq data using statistical models of key experimental steps. We demonstrate how ChIPs can be used for a range of applications, including benchmarking analysis tools and evaluating the impact of various experimental parameters. ChIPs is implemented as a standalone command-line program written in C++ and is available from https://github.com/gymreklab/chips. Conclusions ChIPs is an efficient ChIP-seq simulation framework that generates realistic datasets over a flexible range of experimental conditions. It can serve as an important component in various ChIP-seq analyses where ground truth data are needed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1935-1949 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kylling ◽  
N. Kristiansen ◽  
A. Stohl ◽  
R. Buras-Schnell ◽  
C. Emde ◽  
...  

Abstract. Volcanic ash is commonly observed by infrared detectors on board Earth-orbiting satellites. In the presence of ice and/or liquid-water clouds, the detected volcanic ash signature may be altered. In this paper the sensitivity of detection and retrieval of volcanic ash to the presence of ice and liquid-water clouds was quantified by simulating synthetic equivalents to satellite infrared images with a 3-D radiative transfer model. The sensitivity study was made for the two recent eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull (2010) and Grímsvötn (2011) using realistic water and ice clouds and volcanic ash clouds. The water and ice clouds were taken from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) analysis data and the volcanic ash cloud fields from simulations by the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. The radiative transfer simulations were made both with and without ice and liquid-water clouds for the geometry and channels of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). The synthetic SEVIRI images were used as input to standard reverse absorption ash detection and retrieval methods. Ice and liquid-water clouds were on average found to reduce the number of detected ash-affected pixels by 6–12%. However, the effect was highly variable and for individual scenes up to 40% of pixels with mass loading >0.2 g m−2 could not be detected due to the presence of water and ice clouds. For coincident pixels, i.e. pixels where ash was both present in the FLEXPART (hereafter referred to as "Flexpart") simulation and detected by the algorithm, the presence of clouds overall increased the retrieved mean mass loading for the Eyjafjallajökull (2010) eruption by about 13%, while for the Grímsvötn (2011) eruption ash-mass loadings the effect was a 4% decrease of the retrieved ash-mass loading. However, larger differences were seen between scenes (standard deviations of ±30 and ±20% for Eyjafjallajökull and Grímsvötn, respectively) and even larger ones within scenes. The impact of ice and liquid-water clouds on the detection and retrieval of volcanic ash, implies that to fully appreciate the location and amount of ash, hyperspectral and spectral band measurements by satellite instruments should be combined with ash dispersion modelling.


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