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Matt Ball PhD student Email: m.ball at lancaster.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)1524 593975 Fax: +44 (0)1524 593985 Matt's PhD is on the Thermal Imaging of Volcanoes. Thermal imaging of volcanoes has the potential to provide valuable information on the surface temperature of lava flows, domes, lakes and other surface temperature anomalies on volcanoes. Until recently, remote sensing of active volcanic areas was mostly undertaken using either satellites or aircraft. With the development of hand-held thermal imaging cameras, however, increasing use is being made of helicopter- and land-based thermal imaging data. The latest generation of forward looking infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging cameras provide the potential to collect detailed temperature distributions and cooling rates of cooling lava flows. The initial aim of my project is to validate the use of thermal imaging cameras in quantative assessment of volcanic thermal anomalies. Instrument error, the effect of atmospheric attenuation (including that caused by volcanic gases), the effects of resolution, lava emissivity and the effects of viewing angles on measured temperatures will be examined. Once measured apparent temperatures can be corrected, thermal images from both Mt Etna, Sicily and Kilauea, Hawai'i shall be used to examine the field effects of viewing angle and viewing distance. The flow dynamics and cooling rates of lava flows will then be investigated and the robustness of existing cooling models will be tested. |