Special Drones Measure Volcanic Gas Emissions for Early Warning
Scientists have developed a specially-adapted type of drone designed to enter into volcanos to measure their volcanic gas emissions. These emissions can help predict volcanic eruptions, thereby providing a much-needed volcano warning system for people living close by.
How Volcanic Gas Emissions Help Predict Volcano Activity
There are roughly 300 active volcanoes on the planet, many of which are located near residential areas. One such area is Papua New Guinea – the active volcano in this area, the Manam Volcano, was the focal point for pilot runs of the special emissions-measuring drones that were conducted over 10 days in 2018 and 2019.
The Manam Volcano was chosen due to its proximity to the area’s 9,000 residents, because satellite imagery shows that it produces strong volcanic gas emissions, and because it is one of the most active volcanoes in the country – in fact, it erupted in 2004 and caused massive damage.
The drones themselves were equipped with gas sensors, cameras, and other measurement tools. And they were engineered to travel efficiently. To reach the mouth of the Manam Volcano, the drones traveled 3.7 miles and over 6,500 feet high. Once there, they gathered images, measured the composition of the volcanic gas clouds near the top of the smoke plumes, and collected some gas samples in containers for further analysis.
An important piece of the analysis involved the identification of the ratio of CO2 to SO2 within the smoke plumes. According to this article, this ratio helps detect the ascent of hot magma to the surface and expulsion of CO2-rich emissions that reportedly precede big eruptions. This and other drone measurements were then integrated with the satellite data to complete the analysis.
The final results of the 2018 and 2019 pilots showed that Manam is within the top-10 largest volcanoes on Earth when it comes to volcanic gas emissions.
Overall, it’s pretty interesting stuff, even though most of us don’t have to worry about volcanoes from an emergency preparedness perspective.
