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Space observations of Mt. Etna could lead to eruption forecast

Date: 27-Mar-09
Author: European Space Agency

Using radar images acquired by European Space Agency (ESA) satellites from 1992 to 2006, scientists have for the first time been able to monitor the long-term behaviour of Mt. Etna, Europe's highest and most active volcano.

This unprecedented time series of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations from ESA's ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat satellites provided crucial information for understanding how the volcano's surface deformed during the rise, storage and eruption of magma.

Changes in surface deformation, such as sinking, bulging and rising, are indicators of different stages of volcanic activity, which may result in eruptions. Thus, precise monitoring of a volcano's surface deformation, or 'breathing', could lead to predictions of eruptions.

This Envisat MERIS image acquired on 25 November 2006 captures smoke spewing from Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Courtesy: ESA

Full story: Hot stuff -- 15 years of satellite data over Mt. Etna