Researchers at the Technical University of Munich have created a system that uses drones and lasers to measure volcanic gas emissions more accurately. The setup directs laser beams through rising gas clouds, which are reflected back by a drone. An algorithm then processes the signals to produce maps of gas distribution, highlighting higher carbon dioxide levels. The carbon dioxide to sulfur dioxide ratio serves as a key signal of potential eruptions.
Gases escape more vigorously as magma moves upward, making carbon and sulfur compounds useful markers of volcanic activity. Ground-based readings often include emissions from plants and soil, reducing accuracy. Drones now fly above the clouds to limit such interference, providing safer and more reliable data.
In a project funded by the German Research Foundation, the team tested the system on Vulcano island near Sicily. A laser on a mobile unit automatically aligns with a reflector on the drone during flights lasting 10 to 15 minutes. Up to 3,000 readings are collected and converted into concentration maps while accounting for wind conditions, achieving about 5 percent error.
A separate group at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz uses drones equipped with onboard sensors. These employ light absorption or electrochemical reactions to gauge gas levels directly inside plumes. Both approaches aim to track how gas ratios reveal underground magma processes.
