Previewing PlumeViz Beta: Atmospheric Data Visualization Module

A sneak peek into the upcoming features of PlumeViz Beta 1.1.0

The 2022 Hunga eruption highlighted the importance of understanding volcanic plume dynamics and their interaction with atmospheric conditions. To make analyzing such complex phenomena more accessible, the upcoming PlumeViz 1.1.0 includes an atmospheric data visualization module.

PlumeViz is a cross-platform, user-friendly interface for the Fortran90 version of Plumeria, tailored for volcanologists and atmospheric scientists. As part of its beta release, the software includes a new module for creating insightful visualizations. For example, users can generate a wind rose plot to analyze wind speed and direction, or vertical atmospheric profiles displaying relative humidity, temperature, and wind conditions—like those showcased here from the Hunga eruption dataset.

The atmospheric data used in these visualizations is specific to the Hunga Volcano, Tonga, during the January 15, 2022, eruption. It was sourced from the Global Forecast System (GFS) 0.5-degree model, with a posting date of January 15, 2022, at 0000 UTC.

Wind Rose for 2022 Hunga Eruption
Wind rose plot showing wind speed and direction during the Jan, 15, 2022 Hunga eruption.
Atmospheric Profile for 2022 Hunga Eruption
Vertical profiles of relative humidity, temperature, and wind data. Note the highlighted region corresponding to the umbrella cloud altitudes, 17–31 km. Umbrella heights are taken from Gupta et al. (2022). Commun. Earth Environ., 3, 314. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00606-3.

With PlumeViz's atmospheric data visualization module, you can:

  1. Upload soudning datasets from NOAA or use synthetic data to simulate atmospheic conditions.
  2. Generate visualizations of atmospheic profiles quickly and intuitively.

The beta version of PlumeViz 1.1.0 will include:

  1. An intuitive interface for running Plumeria with enhanced visualization capabilities.
  2. Support for plotting volcanic plume and atmospheric datasets.
  3. Tools for annotating, customizing, and exporting high-quality visualizations.

This module is just one part of the PlumeViz suite, designed to streamline the workflow for exploring volcanic plume dynamics. Stay tuned for the beta release!