A small drone equipped with ultra-lightweight sensor systems has been developed to monitor volcanos and improve predictions about when they might next erupt
Carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and water vapor are the primary gases emitted by volcanoes. One of the finest methods to learn about volcanic systems and the ongoing magmatic processes is to analyze these gases.
Even the possibility of an approaching eruption may be determined by comparing carbon dioxide levels to sulphur dioxide levels.
Although drones have already been employed to analyze the location of volcanic activity, their heavyweight has made transportation to their operation areas expensive.
At the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), a group of researchers has been testing a small drone system that can be carried on foot to locations that are often very challenging to reach by conventional methods.
The ratio of carbon dioxide to sulphur dioxide concentration in the released gases is a particularly useful metric when it comes to monitoring changes in volcanic activity.
Before the eruption of various volcanoes, notably Mount Etna in Sicily, changes to this ratio have been noticed.
Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to really put together a continuous time series of gas compositions. Direct hand sampling entails ascending the volcano, which is difficult, time-consuming, and even deadly if an eruption occurs quickly.
Because of shifting wind directions, stationary monitoring equipment frequently fails to capture accurate data on gas compositions.
Drones allow access to emission sources that would otherwise be challenging or impossible to reach, such as fumaroles in treacherous terrain or older portions of the plume that are often found in downwind locations and at higher elevations.
Only bigger drones have thus far been used for volcano monitoring, which has been challenging given how far-flung the regions are where the majority of volcanoes are located.
It is for this reason that small, easily transportable drones are an essential prerequisite if we want to get to isolated or difficult-to-access volcanic sites and suitably track the activity there, said Niklas Karbach, lead author of the research paper.
We need to obtain real-time data on sulphur dioxide levels as this lets us know when we are actually in contact with the volcanic plume, something that readily moves over time in response to atmospheric factors. The localization of a plume by visual means alone from a distance of several kilometers is practically impossible, said Professor Thorsten Hoffmann, head of the research team.
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