Fri, Feb 24, 2012
NASA-Derived Technology Enables Accurate Volcanic-Ash
Assessment At Airport In Argentina
At the request of the Argentinean Ministry of Defense, a LiDAR
system developed by Sigma Space was installed at Bariloche airport
in Argentina on January 30th. Since the June 2011 eruption of the
Chilean Puyehue, Bariloche has been suffering from intermittent ash
clouds blowing from the volcano, and the airport in Bariloche has
been closed much of the time since the eruption. Sigma
Space’s portable and highly automated Micro Pulse LiDAR (MPL)
system was able to be rapidly deployed.
Volcanic ash has been a recurrent impediment to normal
air-traffic operations in Europe, Asia and South America over the
last few years. Sigma’s MPL permits determination of ash
concentration profile every few seconds. "With the new equipment,
companies will have an accurate picture of ash clouds, which will
enable them to cancel flights only in extreme conditions of
concentration of particles in the air," said Hector Ciappesoni,
director of the Meteorological Service of Argentina.
"This equipment brings the airport to the highest safety
standards," said Rio Negro governor Alberto Weretilneck. He
highlighted that the quick response of the Defense Ministry to the
order of the President, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, enabled the
airport to operate normally since procuring the LiDAR.
Marcos Sirota, president of Sigma Space and an Argentina native,
traveled to Bariloche to personally supervise the installation of
the MPL. “After calibration we will be able to provide
quantitative information in real time. LiDAR networks will be able
to report both vertical and regional ash distribution worldwide. A
true breakthrough for aviation,” he said.
The World Meteorological Association (WMO) is developing new
standards for the incorporation of LiDAR information into regular
forecasts worldwide, as LiDAR measurements could provide a
comprehensive assessment of ash distribution in flight corridors.
Sigma Space Corporation produces pioneering LiDAR instrumentation,
laser ranging, attitude determination, spectroscopy, and radiometry
for remote sensing and defense applications. Sigma Space also
supplies advanced science and engineering services to government
customers. (Photo provided by Sigma Space)
More News
Microburst A small downburst with outbursts of damaging winds extending 2.5 miles or less. In spite of its small horizontal scale, an intense microburst could induce wind speeds as>[...]
Have A Story That NEEDS To Be Featured On Aero-News? Here’s How To Submit A Story To Our Team Some of the greatest new stories ANN has ever covered have been submitted by our>[...]
“As we start to implement this drawdown in service. It will be restricted to these 40 high volume traffic markets. We’re going to ask the airlines to work with us colla>[...]
Aero Linx: European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) Since 1956 the European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP) provides a forum for professionals working in the >[...]
Also: AFE25 Tickets!, Jamaica Recovery, E-Aircraft at Boeing Fld, Diamond DA50 RG Cert Elon Musk is once again promising the impossible…this time, in the form of a Tesla tha>[...]
ANN's Daily Aero-Term (11.07.25): Microburst
See All