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The new science of volcanoes harnesses AI, satellites and gas sensors to forecast eruptions

Forty years after the Mount St Helens eruption galvanized volcano researchers, they are using powerful new tools to spy on the world’s most dangerous mountains.
  1. Jane Palmer

    1. Jane Palmer is a freelance writer based in Colorado.

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An aerial view of Anak Krakatau volcano during an eruption at Sunda strait in South Lampung, Indonesia

When Anak Krakatau in Indonesia erupted on 22 December 2018, part of the island collapsed into the ocean, causing a deadly tsunami. Credit: Nurul Hidayat/Antara Foto/Bisnis Indonesia via Reuters

Early in 2018, the volcano Anak Krakatau in Indonesia started falling apart. It was a subtle transformation — one that nobody noticed at the time. The southern and southwestern flanks of the volcano were slipping towards the ocean at a rate of about 4 millimetres per month, a shift so small that researchers only saw it after the fact as they combed through satellite radar data. By June, though, the mountain began showing obvious signs of unrest. It spewed fiery ash and rocks into the sky in a series of small eruptions. And it was heating up. Another satellite instrument recorded thermal emissions from Anak Krakatau that reached 146 megawatts — more than 100 times the normal value. With the increased activity, the slippage jumped to 10 millimetres per month.

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Nature 581, 256-259 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01445-y

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