This session focuses on recent and/or ongoing volcanic activity worldwide with two focus areas. The first concerns reports of activity or "near real-time analysis" of volcanic eruptions using conventional or novel techniques and contributions on volcanic unrest, whether or not leading to eruptions. The second, related focus area is the mass eruption rate (MER) and methods to estimate it.
We particularly encourage reports on the "live interpretation" of observables that can be helpful in the analysis of the situation and provide valuable information for briefing the authorities and the public. Examples of such information can be, but is not limited to, the link between deformation, seismic activity, geodesy, gas fluxes, seismic anisotropy changes, visual/thermal observations, etc.
There is a real practical need for reliable estimates of the MER in real or near-real time for fast assessment of ongoing eruptions and their potential hazards. For past explosive eruptions plume height, and indirectly the MER, has been estimated from the magnitude, clast size and areal distribution of tephra fallout. For contemporary eruptions various methods exist using an array of instruments including radars, infrasound, infrared and visible cameras, electric sensors, satellite retrievals of ash loading, drones (UAV) and other remote sensing methods. Aspects of these methods and their use in MER estimates are to be addressed in the session.