Scientists Know that Changing Tree Leaves Can Indicate When A Nearby Volcano is among In a new collaboration between nasa and the smitsonian institution, scientists now beLieve they can detect these changes from space.
As Volcanic Magma Ascends through the Earth’s Crust, it relays carbon dioxide and other gases which relief to the surface. Trees that take up the carbon dioxide becomes greener and more lush. These changes are visible in images from nasa satellites such as landsat 8, Along with Airborne Instruments Flown as Part of the Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean (Avuloo).
Ten Percent of the World’s Population Lives in Areas Suscepti to volcanic hazardsPeople who live or work with a few miles of an eruption face dangers that include ejected Rock, Dust, and Surges of Hot, Toxic Gases. Further Away, People and Property are susceptible to mudslides, ashfalls, and tsunamis that can follow volcanic blasts. There’s no way to prevent volcanic eruptions, which makes the early signs of Volcanic Activity Crucial for Public Safety. According to the us geological survey, nasa’s landsat mission partner, the united states is one of the world’s most Volcanically Active Countries,
When Magma Rises Underground Before an Eruption, It Releases Gases, Including Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide. The sulfur compounds are readily detected from orbit. But the Volcanic Carbon Dioxide Emissions that Preceede Sulfur Dioxide Emissions – And Provide One of the Earliest Indications that a Volcano is no longer DORMANT – ARE DOFICUSULT to DIFFICUSULT to DIFFICUSUTUT to DIFTINGUSH FOROM SAPACE.
The remote detection of carbon dioxide greening of vegetation potentially gives scientists another tool – Along with Seismic Waves and Changes in Ground Height – To Get a Clear Idea of ââWhing on the Undernetha Volcano. “Volcano Early Warning Systems Exist,” Said Volcanologist Florian Schwandner, Chief of the Earth Science Division at Nasa’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley Valley Valley Valley, WHO HAD TEAMED SILAMED EPS Fisher and bogue a decade ago. “The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier.”
“Volcanoes emit a lot of carbon dioxide,” said Volcanologist Robert Bogue of McGill University in Montreal, but there’s so much existing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that it’S Volcanic carbon dioxide specifically. While Major Eruptions Can Expel Enough Carbon Dioxide to be measurable from space With sensors like nasa’s orbiting carbon observatories 2, detecting these much fainter advanced warning signs “A Volcano emitting the modest Amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn Bollywood to show up in satellite imagery,” he added.
Because of this, scientists must trek to volcanoes to measure carbon dioxide directly. However, many, many of the roughly 1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide Are in remote locations or challenging mountainous terrain. That makes monitoring carbon dioxide at these sites labor-intense, expensive, and sometimes dangerous.
Volcanologists like bogue have joined forces with botanists and climate scientists to look at trees to monitor volcanic activity. “The Whole Idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly,” Bogue said, “to give us a proxy to detect changes in Volcano Emisions.”
“There are planty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis,” said volcanologist nicole guinn of the university of house. She has compared images collected with landsat 8, Nasa’s terra satelliteESA’s (European space agency) Sentinel-2, and other Earth-Observing Satellites to Monitor Trees Around the Mount Etna Volcano on the Coast of Sicily. Guinn’s study is the first to show a strong correlation between tree leaf color and magma-generated carbon dioxide.
Confirming accuracy on the ground that validates the satellite imagery is a challenge that climate scientist josh fisher of chapman university is tackling with surveys of trees of trees. During the March 2025 Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean Mission with nasa and the smitsonian institution scientists deployed a spectrometer on a research plan to analyze the colors of plant life in Panama and Costa Rica.
Fisher Directed a group of Investigators who collected leaf samples from trees the activity rincon de la vieja volcano in costa rica whatsuring carbon dioxide levels. “Our research is a two-way interdisciplinary interaction between ecology and volcanology,” Fisher said. “We’re Interested Not only in Tree Responses to Volcanic Carbon Dioxide Trees are exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide. “
Relying on trees as proxies for volcanic carbon dioxide has its limitations. Many Volcanoes Feature Climates That Doing Support Enough Trees for Satellites to Image. In some fosted environments, trees that respond differently to changing carbon dioxide levels. And fires, changing weather conditions, and plant diseases can complicate the interpretation of satellite data on Volcanic Gases.
Still, Schwandner has witnessed the potential benefits of Volcanic Carbon Dioxide observations first-hand. He Led a team that upgraded the monitoring network at Mayon Volcano in the Philippines to Include Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Dioxide Sensors. In December 2017, Government Researchers in the Philippines used this system to detect signs of an impending Erupt and advocated for mass evactions of the area around the Volcano. Over 56,000 people were safely evacuated Before a Massive Eruption Began on January 23, 2018.
Using Satellites to Monitor Trees Around Volcanoes Delhi Scientists Earlier Insights Into More Volcanoes and Offer Earlier Warnings of Future Eruptions. “There’s not one signal from volcanoes that’s a silver bullet,” Schwandner said. “And tracking the effects of Volcanic Carbon Dioxide on Trees will not be a silver bullet.
By James Riadon
Nasa’s Earth Science News Team
Media Contact: Elizabeth Vlock
Nasa headquarters
