Video: Thermal images of lava spewing from an erupting volcano

A thermal camera standing 250 meters away from an active volcanic vent captured this video of molten lava spewing from Italy’s Stromboli volcano.

The camera used here detects heat, allowing the hot volcanic particles and their trajectories to be easily seen and tracked. By collecting an image every 200th of a second, the camera produces a series of images that can be put together as a video.

The video was a product of an equipment test at the volcano in late 2012. A new, easily deployable instrument package, designed by scientists as part of the ClerVolc program, consists of a suite of ground-based sensors that include these types of thermal cameras. Combined, the sensors measure across the electromagnetic spectrum.

Data from these sensors can help researchers track particles as they spew from volcanic vents. Detailed knowledge on how fast volcanic particles move, their densities, and their rate of emission from erupting vents will help researchers better prepare communities downwind of volcanic plumes for the hazards they face.

Video by ClerVolc