Drones Take Flight Over Sicily’s Vulcano Island to Sharpen Eruption Forecasts

German researcher Marius Schaab of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and his colleagues launched a 2.5 kg drone named “Tina” over the crater of La Fossa on Vulcano Island, off Sicily’s coast. The drone follows a pre-programmed 10- to 15-minute flight path up to 60 m from a ground-based laser sensor. While the drone flies behind the volcanic plume, the laser beam passes through the gas emissions, reflects off a mirror on the drone, and returns to the sensor. An algorithm then converts the returned signal into a tomographic map of gas concentrations.

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Drones have been employed for volcanic monitoring for roughly 15 years, but earlier methods required researchers to enter hazardous plumes with protective gear. The current system seeks to provide risk-free, high-resolution gas measurements by keeping both the drone and ground unit outside the corrosive plume. The TUM team’s test marks the first use of its drone system at altitudes up to 3,000 m on an active volcano.

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• Marius Schaab – volcanologist, Technical University of Munich, leads the laser-reflection approach.

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• Tjarda Roberts – researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Paris, collaborates with the University of Mainz team.

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• Jonas Krajewski – student at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, responsible for flight preparation and sensor checks.

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• Prof. Thorsten Hoffmann – Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, oversees onboard photometric and electrochemical sensors.

Better Prediction Of Volcanic Eruptions

• Lilienthal – robotics researcher (affiliation not specified), directs the development of autonomous data-processing and AI interpretation.

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The drone’s flight yields up to 3,000 individual measurements per mission. The laser-based system avoids direct plume contact, while onboard sensors record gases, particles, halogens, chlorine, bromine, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Wind-condition data are incorporated to refine the spatial map. Laboratory wind-tunnel tests indicate a measurement error of about 5 %. The ratio of carbon dioxide to sulfur dioxide is highlighted as a reliable indicator of magma depth and imminent eruption.

Better Prediction Of Volcanic Eruptions

Accurate gas-composition data improve understanding of how volcanic emissions affect the atmosphere and enhance early-warning capabilities. Changes in gas ratios can precede eruptions, offering a potential window for evacuation and hazard mitigation, especially on volcanoes where summit access is unsafe.

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Researchers emphasize the system’s flexibility: the drone can quickly adjust its flight path when plume direction shifts, allowing continuous sampling of diluted gas zones. Roberts notes that the technology eliminates the need for scientists to wear masks and protective gear while entering hazardous vents. Krajewski reports a “very constant output of gas,” enabling reliable sensor data throughout the mission. Lilienthal states the ultimate goal is to automate measurement, mapping and AI-driven interpretation, moving toward fully autonomous volcanic monitoring.

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• “Our drone flies behind the plume and also our ground unit is not in the plume,” — Marius Schaab, Technical University of Munich

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• “One reason for measuring gases and particles is to better understand the impact of volcanic eruptions and volcanic emissions on the atmosphere,” — Tjarda Roberts, CNRS

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• “Another reason is to anticipate volcanic eruptions because the gas composition can change before an eruption occurs,” — Tjarda Roberts, CNRS

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• “We have a very constant output of gas... so we can have very reliable sensor data,” — Jonas Krajewski, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

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• “Our goal is to automate the measurement and mapping processes and have artificial intelligence interpret the data,” — Lilienthal, robotics researcher

Better Prediction Of Volcanic Eruptions

In the coming days the same drone system will be deployed on Mount Etna, the 3,000 m-high active volcano in eastern Sicily, which has recently erupted. The test will assess performance under higher-temperature conditions and on a larger, more active volcanic system.

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