A simple inversion method for determining optimal dispersion model parameters from satellite detections of volcanic sulfur dioxide

A simple inversion scheme for optimizing volcanic emission dispersion model parameters with respect to satellite detections is presented in this paper. In this scheme, multiple dispersion model simulations, obtained by varying relevant model parameters, are created and compared against satellite detections using pattern correlation as a measure of model agreement with observations. It is shown that the scheme is successful in inferring emission source parameters such as those describing the vertical extent of the nascent sulfur dioxide emissions in the November 2010 Mount Merapi eruption in Java, Indonesia. These optimal parameter values then become a basis for improved forecasts of the transport of volcanic emissions. Key Points A new method for assimilating satellite data into the dispersion modeling process is presented Good agreement between satellite retrievals and simulations is demonstrated Estimates of model parameters are consistent with those obtained with other remote sensing techniques