Scientists can anticipate a volcanic eruption by observing the surrounding vegetation.
A recent joint study by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution suggests that changes in the greenness of trees near a volcano may signal an impending eruption.
As volcanoes build up pressure before an eruption, they force magma nearer to the surface, which releases increased amounts of carbon dioxide.
This extra CO2 enhances the health of nearby trees, causing their leaves to appear greener as they absorb the surplus gas.
"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 what's going on underneath the volcano," read a NASA statement.
Until recently, scientists had to physically travel to volcanoes to measure carbon dioxide levels, since small CO2 emissions aren't detectable by satellites. However, because many volcanoes are in hard-to-reach locations, monitoring vegetation greenness could offer a safer and more convenient alternative to navigating hazardous terrain.
"There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis," study lead author Nicole Guinn, a doctoral student in volcanology at the University of Houston in Texas, said in the statement.
Researchers analysed images collected by Landsat 8, NASA's Terra satellite, ESA's (European Space Agency) Sentinel-2, and other Earth-observing satellites to monitor trees around the Mount Etna volcano on the coast of Sicily.
Results showed 16 clear spikes in both the amount of CO2 and vegetation's greenness, which coincided with upward migrations of magma from the volcano.
The findings could have important real-life implications as 10 per cent of the world's population lives in areas susceptible to volcanic hazards.
Predicting a volcanic eruption in advance could help move out people who live or work within a few miles of the volcano and face dangers that include ejected rock, dust, and surges of hot, toxic gases.
Source: NDTV
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
