Services & Products of Tokyo VAAC

Jun Ryuzaki30 October, 2012 FPAW in OrlandoTokyo Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

Japan Meteorological Agency

Area of Responsibility

Tokyo VAACTokyo VAAC

• Tokyo VAAC started its operation in 1997• Close coordination with Anchorage &

Washington VAAC.

• Tokyo VAAC started its operation in 1997• Close coordination with Anchorage &

Washington VAAC.

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“Busiest” VAAC in the World?

▲　：　 Volcanoes locationBlack letters : Volcano NameBlue Number : Number of Issued VAAs

Sheveluch ( 179 )Bezymianny ( 2 )

Kliuchevskoi ( 11 )

Sakurajima ( 1000 )

Bulusan( 30 )▲

▲▲▲

▲

140E120E 130E 150E 160E 170E110E100E

10N

20N

30N

40N

50N

60N

Karymsky ( 52 )

▲Suwanosejima ( 37 )

Kirishimayama( 184 ) ▲

▲Kizimen ( 223 )

▲

Asosan( 56 )

+ Other transfer VAAs▲ Grimsvotn( 5 )▲ Pagan ( 6 )

• 1785 VAAs were issued for 12 volcanoes only in 2011.

• 1785 VAAs were issued for 12 volcanoes only in 2011.

• Dedicated VA forecaster (since 2011)• Close collaboration with JMA

volcanologists• Semi-Automated operating system

with GUI

Operational Efforts of JMA

Tokyo VAAC operations room in Tokyo, JMA HQs

Information Flow of VAA

• ICAO ANNEX3 VA products Text VAA (FVFE01) / Graphical VAA (VAG)

• Additional VA products (Domestic) Graphical products (VAGI, VAGFN, VAGFNR)

Meteorological Watch Offices　　　　 in area of responsibility Foreign VAACs

Volcano Information

Pilot Reports

Satellite Observations NWP GPV

Tokyo VAAC/JMATokyo VAAC/JMATokyo VAAC/JMATokyo VAAC/JMA

Civil Aviation Authorities and Other Related Organizations

• Monitoring & Analysis of VA Cloud• Forecasting of Volcanic Ash• Issue of Volcanic Ash Advisory (VAA)

Aviation Weather Service Centers in Japan

VolcanicActivity Reports

Additional VA Products (Example)

VA area identified with Satellite imagery

Top Height (FL)Movement/Speed

Major Air-Route

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• Volcanic Ash Graphic Information (VAGI)

• “Volcanic Ash Dispersion Chart for Mt. Sakurasima & Mr. Kirishimayama”– Assuming Eruption of 2 very active Volcanoes– Forecast up to 3 hours later,3 hourly updated– Ash Dispersion and Deposition from the two

volcanoes

• Help Air Traffic Controllers, Airline Dispatchers, and Aircraft pilots;– Immediate response to mitigate risk of VA encounter– Consider possibility of VA fall over airports nearby

• Now under Evaluation by Users– Started since 29 July,2010

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Experimental VA Product

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Experimental VA Product

Kagoshima Airport

Miyazaki Airport

FL100 to

FL200

FL100 to

FL200

Surface

to FL200

Surface

to FL200

FT=1FT=1 FT=2FT=2 FT=3FT=3

• Deposition Area will be directly forecasted– by JMA’s future VA deposition prediction

model

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Further Development

Estimation of ash dispersion/deposition for assumed eruption of Mt. Sakurasima & Mt. Kirishimayama

Deposition Area

(Hatced)

Deposition Area

(Hatced)

• New MET Satellite will be launched in 2015– Multi-Channel Sensors equipped– Rapid Scan (every 10 minutes)– High Resolution (1km)

• Ground Radar Observation for VA– VA Height and Vertical Profile can be

obtained

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Future Improvement in Observation Field

• Enhance collaboration with Anchorage VAAC– Use of collaboration tool (being discussed)

• Establish ment of back-up procedure– With Darwin VAAC (Australia)– Routine exercise also will start soon

• Improve harmonization between VAACs– VAAC Best Practice Seminar

• Enhance contribution to scientific groups– WMO VA Scientific Advisory Group (VASAG),

the other related seminar/workshops

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Further Efforts…

Thank you!

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