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      RECENT ERUPTIVE ACTIVITY OF ECUADORIAN
VOLCANOES ANDITS THREAT TOAVIATION SAFETYHugo
Yepes, A. Ruiz, P. Ramón, P. MothesINSTITUTO
GEOFISICO, EPN Quito, EcuadorVOLCANIC ASH AND
AVIATION CONFERENCEs2-06yepes.ppt
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Ecuadorian Volcanoes are huge, tall edifices
rising up to 21000 ft asl
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THE ECUADORIAN VOLCANIC ROW
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The active volcanoes are located very close to
densely populated areas therefore close to
centers of heavy air traffic activity
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QUITO
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About 300 flights transport 10000 persons and 500
MT per day through the Ecuadorian Volcanic
Corridor
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GALAPAGOS FLIGHT PATHS
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ERUPTIVE ACTIVITY SINCE 1999
CERRO NEGRO
SOCHE
CUICOCHA
IMBABURA
CAYAMBE
PULULAHUA
REVENTADOR
GUAGUA PICHINCHA
NINAHUILCA
ANTISANA
SUMACO
RASUYACU
COTOPAXI
QUILOTOA
TUNGURAHUA
CHIMBORAZO
SANGAY
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Guagua Pichincha Volcano (GGP) VEI 3 1999

Foto P. Ramón, 2003
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OCTOBER 7TH, 1999
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November 25, 1999
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REVENTADOR Volcano (REV) VEI 4 2002
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NOVEMBER 3RD, 2002
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NOVEMBER 3RD, 2002
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NOVEMBER 3RD, 2002
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SANGAY Volcano (SANG) VEI 1-2 permanent
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JANUARY 14TH, 2004
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CERRO AZUL (GALAPAGOS) BASALTIC 1998
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TUNGURAHUA Volcano (TUNG) VEI 1-2 since
1999
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23 NOV 1999
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DECEMBER, 1999
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MONITORING AND REPORTING
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OVT SEISMIC NETWORK
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SYNTHESIS OF THE SEISMIC SIGNALS 2003 2004
ERUPTION PROCESS
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THREE WAYS OF IDENTIFYING ASH CLOUDS

• Detonations / pressure pulses
• (seismographs)
• Ground Observation
• OVT
• Volcano watchers
• Pilots

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TREMOR
EXPLOSION
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Some ideas

• Scientific monitoring/observation of active
  volcanoes could give valuable information about
  impending/ongoing ash emissions/clouds
• Diversified and complementary techniques like
  seismic, infrasound, thermal (FLIR), DOAS are
  fundamental specifically for low altitude / low
  concentration ash clouds

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Some ideas (2)

• Understanding of volcanic internal processes
  could provide valuable early warnings for
  aviation safety
• Still a lot of research and interdisciplinary
  collaboration to be done between ground
  (volcanologists) and satellite (meteorologists)
  observers