HOW HAS REMOTE SENSING OF DYNAMIC ACTIVITY EVOLVED OVER THE PAST DECADE?

Over the past decade optical and thermal satellite-based observations of volcanic and eolian activity have evolved dramatically. Prior to 2000, most studies focused on technique development and/or concentrated on a single image. Although these investigations laid the groundwork for the current research, they were commonly limited in scope or constrained by the technology of the day. More recently, geostationary satellites together with near-real time networks of low Earth orbiting satellites have been used to provide better temporal and spatial resolution data. The focus in 2000 was on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) era with its new sensors, integrated payloads, and ability measure the Earth System with never before seen precision. In addition to EOS, existing sensors that were designed for weather observations were being used in innovative ways to provide high temporal resolution trends of volcanic eruptions and large dust storms. Analyzing, processing and storing the vast amounts of digital data have also been important issues to overcome. Looking back over the past decade, we see that these networks of orbital sensors have indeed been used with great success by numerous investigators. However, none of the current satellite sensors were designed specifically for volcanic or eolian monitoring and more importantly, many of the systems now in orbit are well past their design life time. Furthermore, the planned sensors do not carry the prospect of the diversity of measurements nor the varied set of observations that were realized a decade prior. The prospects for the next decade and beyond are therefore less clear even as the need for such observations has never been more important. Even with these limitations, the possibility still exists of innovative and integrated measurements between existing sensors, ground-based geophysical networks, and several planned missions for exciting science return of dynamic activity.