ICESat-2 Applications for Investigating Emerging Volcanoes

A groundbreaking application of NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite laser altimeter, combined with visible imagery, reveals unprecedented insights into the rapid formation and erosion of newly emerged volcanic islands. Focusing on Niijima Fukutoku-Okanoba (NFO) in Japan’s Ogasawara Islands, this study demonstrates how high-resolution satellite datasets can quantify elevation profiles and surface structures of short-lived volcanic features, previously inaccessible to traditional monitoring methods. The integration of ICESat-2 altimetry with Landsat-8 and Planet imagery provides a novel framework for understanding the dynamic evolution of these islands, advancing our comprehension of submarine volcanism in remote, shallow-water settings.

Simurda, C., Magruder, L. A., Markel, J., Garvin, J. B., & Slayback, D. A. (2022). ICESat-2 Applications for Investigating Emerging Volcanoes. Geosciences, 12(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12010040