• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

AdvanceTec

Hot Tech News and Reviews

  • Home
  • Tech Today
  • Big Tech
  • Gaming 360
  • Science Now
  • Technology Tips
  • Tech Reviews
  • Health
  • Contact Us

How Drones Can Monitor Explosive Volcanoes

May 27, 2020 By AdvanceTec Writer

The Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala
Picture of the Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala.
CREDIT
Zorn et al. 2020, Nature – Scientific Reports: DOI 10.1038/s41586-020-2212-1

Due to the difficult accessibility and the high risk of collapse or explosion, the imaging of active volcanoes has so far been a great challenge in volcanology. Researchers around Edgar Zorn from the German Research Centre for Geosciences GFZ in Potsdam are now presenting the results of a series of repeated survey flights with optical and thermal imaging cameras at the Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala. Drones were used to observe the lava dome, a viscous plug of lava. The researchers were able to show that the lava dome shows movements on two different time scales: slow expansion and growth of the dome and fast extrusion of viscous lava. The study was published in the journal “Scientific Reports”.

“We have equipped a drone with different cameras”, says Edgar Zorn from GFZ, the first author of the study. “We then flew the drone over the crater at various intervals, measuring the movements of lava flow and a lava dome using a specific type of stereo photography with a precision never seen before.” By comparing the data from the drone, we were able to determine the flow velocity, movement patterns and surface temperature of the volcano. These parameters are important for predicting the danger of explosive volcanoes. The researchers also succeeded in deriving the flow properties of the lava from these data.

“We have shown that the use of drones can help to completely re-measure even the most dangerous and active volcanoes on Earth from a safe distance,” continues Edgar Zorn. “A regular and systematic survey of dangerous volcanoes with drones seems to be almost within one’s grasp”, says Thomas Walter, volcanologist at GFZ, who was also involved in the study.

The two cameras of the drone used on the Caliente volcanic cone of the Santa Maria volcano were able to take high-resolution photos on the one hand and thermal imaging on the other. Using a special computer algorithm, the researchers were able to create complete and detailed 3D models from these images. They obtained a 3D topography and temperature model of the volcano with a resolution of only a few centimetres.

Drone missions considerably reduce the risk for volcanologists, as the cameras can be flown directly to the dangerous spots without the scientists having to go near them themselves. Instead, the greatest challenge lies in the post-processing and calculation of the models. “The 3D models of the various flights must be positioned exactly so that they can be compared. This requires painstaking detail work, but the effort is worth it because even minimal movements become immediately visible,” says Edgar Zorn. “In the study, we presented some new possibilities for the representation and measurement of certain ground movements, which could be very useful in future projects”.

This article is from a press release at eurekalert.org

Filed Under: FEATURED, Science Now Tagged With: drone, Volcano

More AdvanceTec Posts

6 Foods That Will Boost Your Memory

6 Foods That Will Boost Your Memory

The brain is the highest central organ that integrates the nervous system. It is surrounded by abundant vascular tissues and three layers of meninges … Read Full Article about 6 Foods That Will Boost Your Memory

25 Super Interesting Facts About Steve Jobs That You Didn't Know About

25 Super Interesting Facts About Steve Jobs That You Didn’t Know About

1) Steve Jobs is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also an icon of innovation in the 21st century, and a person who laid the foundation for the … Read Full Article about 25 Super Interesting Facts About Steve Jobs That You Didn’t Know About

5 Interesting Facts That You Should Know About Adobe

1) Adobe is an American software development company founded in 1982 by graduates of Xerox Park Labs. 2) Adobe was originally a company that … Read Full Article about 5 Interesting Facts That You Should Know About Adobe

5 Interesting Facts About IBM Watson

1) Watson is an artificial intelligence created by IBM or a supercomputer equipped with artificial intelligence. The name is taken from the founder of … Read Full Article about 5 Interesting Facts About IBM Watson

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

U.S. Department of Justice Tells Facebook To Change Its Advertising Algorithm

Meta is in a position to revise its Facebook advertising algorithm system within this year. Regarding the meta, … Continue Reading about U.S. Department of Justice Tells Facebook To Change Its Advertising Algorithm

  • 5 Funny Facts You Didn’t Know About Bill Gates
  • Microsoft Edge Browser Security Vulnerability Warning… Update Required
  • Digital dementia symptoms and 3 prevention methods

AdvanceTec Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS

Copyright © 2022 · Advancetec · About Us · Log in