However in other instances, such as the eruption of Mount Ontake in Japan in , there was no alarm raised because of how sudden it was. There have also been times when people have been removed from an area unnecessarily - when an eruption didn't actually happen when it was expected to. But the effectiveness of national volcano-monitoring agencies can vary depending on the level of resources and expertise. New Zealand is one of the world leaders in this field and assists developing countries such as Pacific island Vanuatu in predicting eruptions.
Its most active volcano erupted in December. The technology it uses to monitor volcanic activity includes GPS global positioning system receivers, high-tech sensors and drones, as well as dispatched teams on the ground. Ben Kennedy, a volcanologist at Canterbury University in New Zealand, says they are "getting better all the time" at making predictions. Read more from Reality Check. Send us your questions. Follow us on Twitter. Gases, such as sulfur dioxide SO 2 , carbon dioxide CO 2 , hydrochloric acid HCl , and even water vapor H 2 O can be measured at the site or, in some cases, from a distance using satellites.
The amounts of gases and their ratios are calculated to help predict eruptions. Some gases can be monitored using satellite technology. Satellites also monitor temperature readings and deformation. As technology improves, scientists are better able to detect changes in a volcano accurately and safely.
Since volcanologists are usually uncertain about an eruption, officials may not know whether to require an evacuation.
The costs of disrupting business are great. However, scientists continue to work to improve the accuracy of their predictions. Skip to main content. Tectonic Forces. Search for:.
Geological Survey, March 9, Other scientists are looking at the gases emitted from volcanoes. If we could monitor CO2 accurately we might have a valuable tool for monitoring the state of unrest at volcanoes.
The abundance of CO 2 in the atmosphere has defeated us in the past, but volcanologist, Dr. In another few years we may be measuring both SO 2 and CO 2. Still other scientists are using Geographical Positioning Systems satellites GPS to continuously monitor deformation at volcanoes. Tim Dixon University of Miami has monitored small changes millimeters to centimeters in the floor of the Long Valley caldera in California. In short, the future is pretty good for forecasting volcanic eruptions over the short-term and in most cases i.
Of course, an essential ingredient to mitigating volcanic hazards is international cooperation and rapid deployment of trained personnel and technology. The U. Helens in , and later worked with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to forecast the powerful eruption at Pinatubo.
A caveat: eruption size is not always the controlling factor in the number of deaths incurred. The eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, was, compared to Pinatubo, a rather small and insignificant eruption. Unfortunately, 25, people in the town of Armero were killed when a lahar, produced by melting of a summit glacier, swept through the town.
RSS - Posts. Volcano World : Supplement. Skip to content. How do Volcanologists predict volcanic eruptions? Posted on March 6, by laceymarie Like this: Like Loading
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