Unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for measuring volcanic plumes

Abstract

Active volcanoes emit gases and particles as plumes, even in times of quiescence. The chemistry of these plumes is a direct indicator of magmatic vitality at depth, and thus the eruptive potential of a given volcano. Although precise instruments and techniques exist for the accurate measurement of such plumes, there has been a longstanding problem of access to the concentrated plumes we need to measure. We have developed a modular system for the measurement and/or collection of all plume components. The system includes a heavy-payload drone that can carry any one of a suite of miniturized instruments deep into volcanic plumes. This system has the potential to revolutionize the way we study active volcanoes, and the degree to which we are able to monitor their activity.

Technical abstract

We have designed and built a modular Unoccupied Aerial System (UAS, “drone”) for comprehensive geochemical analysis of volcanic plumes. Our design prioritizes cost effectiveness, field maintainability, portability, and diversity of measurements. The full system, including all instruments, can be physically carried to remote launch sites by a single operator, yet is capable of: (1) 3D edifice visualization by photogrammetry; (2) measuring SO2 flux by DOAS; (3) determining major gas (H2O, CO2, SO2, H2S) concentrations by MultiGAS; (4) collecting bulk aerosols and acidic gases (HCl, HF) with filter packs; (5) collecting size-resolved, native-state aerosols with cascade impactors; and (6) collecting plume gases for analysis of carbon isotopes in CO2 (δ13CCO2). The effectiveness of the system is demonstrated with data collected at Bagana volcano (PNG) and Ambrym Volcano (Vanuatu). The UAS system and its instruments represent a signficant advance in our ability to comprehensive measure the full chemistry of plumes emitted from active volcanoes. It is ready for deployment at any and all active volcanoes worldwide.