Analysis of first PRISMA acquisitions on volcanoes and geothermal areas in Italy; comparisons with model simulations, past Hyperion data and field campaigns

Abstract:

The PRISMA (Hyperspectral PRecursor of the Application Mission) space mission was launched by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) on March 22, 2019. The payload is composed of a spectrometer able to measure in the VNIR (Visible and Near-InfraRed, 0.4-1.0 µm) and SWIR (Short-Wave InfraRed, 0.9-2.5 µm) spectral ranges, with a spatial resolution of 30 m, and a panchromatic camera with a spatial resolution of 5 m. Therefore, the sensors on-board can distinguish non only the geometric characteristics of targets, but also the composition of Earth surface thanks to the high spectral resolution less than 12 nm. In this work, first PRISMA acquisitions on Italian volcanoes and geothermal areas are considered and analysed. Specifically, the ‘Piano delle Concazze’ test site, a very flat area on Mt. Etna volcano, was selected for calibration purposes due to its homogeneity characteristics; PRISMA data are compared with model simulations, past Hyperion hyperspectral data (2001-2009) and field campaigns for measuring the surface reflectance. Moreover, the “Parco delle Biancane” geothermal area, in the northern part of Tuscany (Italy), is also considered as test site. In this area, the temperature of the steam can reach 460-470 K while it hardly touches 370 K on the surface. Finally, PRISMA images on Campi Flegrei and Aeolian Islands volcanoes are also analysed with the aim to investigate the potential of hyperspectral data for gases retrieving and for soil classification purposes.