A volcanic-hazard demonstration exercise to assess and mitigate the impacts of volcanic ash clouds on civil and military aviation

Authors:Hirtl, MarcusArnold, DeliaBaro, RocioBrenot, HuguesColtelli, MauroEschbacher, KurtHard-Stremayer, HelmutLipok, FlorianMaurer, ChristianMeinhard, DieterMona, LuciaMulder, Marie D.Papagiannopoulos, NikolaosPernsteiner, MichaelPlu, MatthieuRobertson, LennartRokitansky, Carl-HerbertScherllin-Pirscher, B.Sievers, KlausSofiev, Mikhailde Cerff, Wim Jan SomSteinheimer, MartinStuefer, MartinTheys, NicolasUppstu, AndreasWagenaar, SaskiaWinkler, RolandWotawa, GerhardZobl, FritzZopp, Raimund

Source:NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES

Volume:20

DOI:10.5194/nhess-20-1719-2020

Published:2020

Document Type:Article

Abstract:Volcanic eruptions comprise an important airborne hazard for aviation. Although significant events are rare, e.g. compared to the threat of thunderstorms, they have a very high impact. The current state of tools and abilities to mitigate aviation hazards associated with an assumed volcanic cloud was tested within an international demonstration exercise. Experts in the field assembled at the Schwarzenberg barracks in Salzburg, Austria, in order to simulate the sequence of procedures for the volcanic case scenario of an artificial eruption of the Etna volcano in Italy. The scope of the exercise ranged from the detection (based on artificial observations) of the assumed event to the issuance of early warnings. Volcanic-emission-concentration charts were generated applying modern ensemble techniques. The exercise products provided an important basis for decision-making for aviation traffic management during a volcanic-eruption crisis. By integrating the available wealth of data, observations and modelling results directly into widely used flight-planning software, it was demonstrated that route optimization measures could be implemented effectively. With timely and rather precise warnings available, the new tools and processes tested during the exercise demonstrated vividly that a vast majority of flights could be conducted despite a volcanic plume being widely dispersed within a high-traffic airspace over Europe. The resulting number of flight cancellations was minimal.

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Reprint Address:Hirtl, M (corresponding author), Zentralanstalt Meteorol & Geodynam, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.; Hirtl, M (corresponding author), Univ Alaska Fairbanks, Geophys Inst, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA.

Addresses:[Hirtl, Marcus; Arnold, Delia; Baro, Rocio; Maurer, Christian; Mulder, Marie D.; Scherllin-Pirscher, B.; Wotawa, Gerhard] Zentralanstalt Meteorol & Geodynam, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. [Hirtl, Marcus; Stuefer, Martin] Univ Alaska Fairbanks, Geophys Inst, Fairbanks, AK 99775 USA. [Arnold, Delia] Arnold Sci Consulting, Manresa 08242, Spain. [Brenot, Hugues; Theys, Nicolas] BIRA IASB, Support Aviat Control Serv, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium. [Coltelli, Mauro] Ist Nazl Geofis & Vulcanol, Osservatorio Etneo, I-95125 Catania, Italy. [Eschbacher, Kurt; Rokitansky, Carl-Herbert; Zobl, Fritz] Univ Salzburg, Dept Comp Sci, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria. [Hard-Stremayer, Helmut] RefLtr Luftraumuberwachung Betriebsstelle Planke, Kommando Streitkrafte FachstabLu J3 Lu, A-5600 St Johann Pongau, Austria. [Lipok, Florian; Meinhard, Dieter] Brimatech Serv GmbH, A-1030 Vienna, Austria. [Mona, Lucia; Papagiannopoulos, Nikolaos] CNR, Ist Metodol Anal Ambientale CNR IMAA, I-85050 Tito, PZ, Italy. [Pernsteiner, Michael] Joint Forces Command Airstaff, A-5071 Wals Siezenheim, Austria. [Plu, Matthieu] Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Meteo France, CNRM, F-31057 Toulouse, France. [Robertson, Lennart] Swedish Meteorol & Hydrol Inst, S-60176 Norrkoping, Sweden. [Sievers, Klaus] Klaus Sievers Aviat Weather, D-83661 Lenggries, Germany. [Sofiev, Mikhail; Uppstu, Andreas] FMI, Atmospher Composit Res, Helsinki 00101, Finland. [de Cerff, Wim Jan Som; Wagenaar, Saskia] KNMI, R&D Satellite Observat, NL-3731 GK De Bilt, Netherlands. [Steinheimer, Martin; Winkler, Roland] Austro Control GmbH, Vienna Int Airport, A-1300 Schwechat, Austria. [Zopp, Raimund] FLIGHTKEYS, A-1070 Vienna, Austria.

E-mail Addresses:marcus.hirtl@zamg.ac.at

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