Abstract:Large-scale volcanic ash cloud could not only cause great changes in the global climate and environmental system, but also form a threat to aviation safety. Satellite remote sensing can quickly and accurately acquire the space change information in a large range. So it can implement the identification and early-warning of appearance and diffusion of volcanic ash cloud. Firstly, the spectral characteristics of volcanic ash cloud and the types of common satellite images are described. Then, the identification methods of volcanic ash cloud are presented systematically in the aspects of ultraviolet absorption, pattern recognition, split-window temperature difference and improved split-window temperature difference algorithms. Finally, the current study of volcanic ash cloud based on satellite images in China is reviewed and its trend is summarized and discussed.