Volcanic Ash
This page contains products issued by the Montreal Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC).
ICAO volcanic ash products
Most recent twenty five messages are listed, regardless of volcano. These products are kept online for only 31 days.
| Date/Time (UTC) | Bulletin header | Volcano name/number |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-17 23:24 | FVCN01-0004 | ALLIGATOR-LAKE-320020 (graphic) |
| 2024-12-12 20:09 | FVCN01-0003 | ALLIGATOR-LAKE-320020 (graphic) (xml) |
| 2024-12-04 19:12 | FVCN01-0002 | CROW-LAGOON-320110 (graphic) (xml) |
Listed above are the date and time of the product, the bulletin header and the running total of bulletins issued by the VAAC since the start of the calendar year, the name of the volcano, followed by the volcano number from Smithsonian Institute (4 digits for the region and subregion, a dash, and 2 or 3 digits for the individual volcano).
Real event model runs and other products
Most recent twenty five messages are listed, regardless of volcano. These products are kept online for only 31 days.
| Date/Time (UTC) | Product |
|---|---|
| 2024-12-10 20:28 | EDZIZA MLDPn |
| 2024-12-04 02:21 | EDZIZA traj satnet |
Satellite imagery and automatic watch / hypothetical model runs
To view automated VAAC products for a specific volcano, select the volcano name, the desired product and the time. Then click on the "View" button. Documentation about these products is available below.
About These Products
GOES-WEST AND GOES-EAST SATELLITE IMAGERY
- IR: Channel 4 brightness temperature in kelvin
- 4m5: Channel 4 minus channel 5 brightness temperature difference (''split-window'') in kelvin. Not calculated due to unavailability of 12-micron band on channel 5 for GOES-EAST and GOES-WEST
- VIS: Channel 1 (albedo from 0 to 1)
The volcano of interest is at the centre of the image, which is produced once per hour. For GOES-WEST images, the HOUR (UTC) axis below the volcano name label corresponds to the time at which the data capture begins. This process takes between 15 and 26 minutes. A GOES-W image with HOUR equal to 02 UTC corresponds to a data capture starting at 0200 UTC and ending between 0215 UTC and 0226 UTC. The label on the image itself is given as 0200 UTC. For GOES-EAST images, the actual time at which the data capture begins is 15 minutes earlier than the time indicated on the HOUR (UTC) axis. The data capture process takes between 15 and 26 minutes. A GOES-E image with HOUR equal to 02 UTC corresponds to a data capture starting at 0145 UTC and ending between 0200 UTC and 0211 UTC. The time label on the image itself is 0145 UTC.
AUTOMATIC WATCH / HYPOTHETICAL MODEL RUNS TRAJECTORY MODEL
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
THESE IMAGES ARE NOT OFFICIAL FORECASTS. THEY ARE PROVIDED FOR GUIDANCE AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICIAL INFORMATION. SEE SIGMETs FOR OFFICIAL WARNING INFORMATION.
The trajectories are produced automatically using ''what if'' hypothetical eruption start times that are 2 hours apart. The time at which the trajectories start is given on the HOUR (UTC) axis below the volcano name label.
For start times of 22, 00, 02, 04, 06, and 08 UTC, the forecast wind fields of the GEM GLOBAL 12 UTC model run are used.
For start times of 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 UTC, the forecast wind fields of the GEM GLOBAL 00 UTC model run are used.
The images show the trajectories normally starting at 3 vertical levels above the volcano. The forecast period covers up to 48 hours from the initial time of the GEM GLOBAL model run that is used.
AUTOMATIC WATCH / HYPOTHETICAL MODEL RUNS
MLDPn MODEL
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
THESE IMAGES ARE NOT OFFICIAL FORECASTS. THEY ARE PROVIDED FOR GUIDANCE AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT TO BE USED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICIAL INFORMATION. SEE SIGMETs FOR OFFICIAL WARNING INFORMATION.
The MLDPn outputs are produced automatically using hypothetical eruption start times that are 3 hours apart. The time at which the run starts is indicated in the legend box in the lower, left-hand portion of the image. The date and time of validity of the forecast are indicated on the clock in the lower, right-hand portion of the image.
For start times of 00, 03, 06, and 09 UTC, the forecast wind fields of the GEM GLOBAL 12 UTC model run are used.
For start times of 12, 15, 18, and 21 UTC, the forecast wind fields of the GEM GLOBAL 00 UTC model run are used.
The eruption parameters vary from one volcano to another as a function of the information received for each.
The images show the average concentration for 3 layers expressed in terms of flight levels (in hundreds of feet) as well as the ash mass loading for the whole atmospheric column:
- Surface To FL200 (upper left-hand panel)
- FL200 - FL350 (upper right-hand panel)
- FL350 - FL600 (lower left-hand panel)
- Ash Mass Loading (lower right-hand panel)
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