Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.3
4.2
Journals
Remote Sensing
Special Issues
Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring
remotesensing-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Remote Sensing Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 7240

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Emanuela De Beni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Catania, Italy
Interests: UAS volcanology GIS remote sensing; volcanological monitoring; field work
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristina Proietti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Catania, Italy
Interests: volcanology GIS; topographic data
Dr. Gaetana Ganci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: remote sensing application; topographic data; satellite images analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Simona Scollo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, 95125 Catania, Italy
Interests: remote sensing application; analysis of the explosive activity and eruption dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Remote sensing provides information about objects on or near the surface of the Earth and atmosphere based on their reflected or emitted radiation. Information is also typically captured at distances from a few to several meters in the form of image data. Generally, the provided information is essential in areas exposed to dangerous phenomena or those that are otherwise difficult to reach. Remote sensing systems span from ground to satellite; among them, unoccupied aerial systems (UASs, drones) are revolutionizing how imagery of Earth is captured.

Remote sensing data or their derivatives are often managed with other datasets within geographic information systems (GIS) aimed at conducting spatial analyses, generating quantitative distributed measurements, and mapping different processes and phenomena.

This Special Issue aims to show the progress of remote sensing applications in volcanological monitoring, hazard quantification, and risk mitigation. We also would like to encourage debates on how different remote sensing techniques can be synergically used to achieve the best possible investigation of volcanic processes.

This Special Issue welcomes academic articles about the applications of remote sensing systems aimed at discussing frontier application, and the developments of different remote sensing techniques and platforms in various branches of volcanology. This Special Issue invites contributions that enhance the understanding of eruptive dynamics, the estimation of the main eruptive parameters, and the associated hazards. The topics mainly include but are not limited to the following themes and techniques:

  • Data analysis of ground-based and satellite remote sensing systems;
  • Optical and TIR sensors;
  • UAS (unmanned aerial system) data analysis;
  • Analysis and monitoring of volcanic phenomena;
  • Morpho-structural analysis;
  • Integration of multiple sensor types;
  • Geological mapping;
  • Geomorphology;
  • Volcano-tectonics.

Dr. Emanuela De Beni
Dr. Cristina Proietti
Dr. Gaetana Ganci
Dr. Simona Scollo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • volcano monitoring and analysis
  • remote sensing systems
  • estimation of eruption parameters
  • ground-based, satellite, and UAS sensors
  • GIS

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

23 pages, 56521 KiB  
Article
Multi-Source SAR-Based Surface Deformation Analysis of Edgecumbe Volcano, Alaska, and Its Relationship with Earthquakes
by Shuangcheng Zhang, Ziheng Ju, Yufen Niu, Zhong Lu, Qianyou Fan, Jinqi Zhao, Zhengpei Zhou, Jinzhao Si, Xuhao Li and Yiyao Li
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(7), 1307; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17071307 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 372
Abstract
Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano located on Kruzof Island in the southeastern part of Alaska, USA, west of the Sitka Strait, has exhibited increased volcanic activity since 2018. To assess the historical and current intensity of this activity and explore its relationship with seismic [...] Read more.
Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano located on Kruzof Island in the southeastern part of Alaska, USA, west of the Sitka Strait, has exhibited increased volcanic activity since 2018. To assess the historical and current intensity of this activity and explore its relationship with seismic events in the surrounding region, this study utilized data from the ERS-1/2, ALOS-1, and Sentinel-1 satellites. The Permanent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PS-InSAR) and Small Baseline Subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) techniques were employed to obtain surface deformation data spanning nearly 30 years. Based on the acquired deformation field, the point-source Mogi model was applied to invert the position and temporal volume changes in the volcanic source. Then, by integrating seismic activity data from the surrounding area, the correlation between volcanic activity and earthquake occurrences was analyzed. The results indicate the following: (1) the coherence of interferograms is influenced by seasonal variations, with snow accumulation during the winter months negatively impacting interferometric coherence. (2) Between 1992 and 2000, the surface of the volcano remained relatively stable. From 2007 to 2010, the frequency of seismic events increased, leading to significant surface deformation, with the maximum Line-of-Sight (LOS) deformation rate during this period reaching −26 mm/yr. Between 2015 and 2023, the volcano entered a phase of accelerated uplift, with surface deformation rates increasing to 68 mm/yr after August 2018. (3) The inversion results for the period from 2015 to 2023 show that the volcanic source, located at a depth of 5.4 km, experienced expansion in its magma chamber, with a volumetric increase of 57.8 × 106 m3. These inversion results are consistent with surface deformation fields obtained from both ascending and descending orbits, with cumulative LOS displacement reaching approximately 210 mm and 250 mm in the ascending and descending tracks, respectively. (4) Long-term volcanic surface deformation, changes in magma source volume, and seismic activity suggest that the earthquakes occurring after 2018 have facilitated the expansion of the volcanic magma source and intensified surface deformation. The uplift rate around the volcano has significantly increased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 8396 KiB  
Article
A New Algorithm for the Global-Scale Quantification of Volcanic SO2 Exploiting the Sentinel-5P TROPOMI and Google Earth Engine
by Maddalena Dozzo, Alessandro Aiuppa, Giuseppe Bilotta, Annalisa Cappello and Gaetana Ganci
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(3), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17030534 - 5 Feb 2025
Viewed by 1296
Abstract
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is sourced by degassing magma in the shallow crust; hence its monitoring provides information on the rates of magma ascent in the feeding conduit and the style and intensity of eruption, ultimately contributing to volcano monitoring and hazard [...] Read more.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is sourced by degassing magma in the shallow crust; hence its monitoring provides information on the rates of magma ascent in the feeding conduit and the style and intensity of eruption, ultimately contributing to volcano monitoring and hazard assessment. Here, we present a new algorithm to extract SO2 data from the TROPOMI imaging spectrometer aboard the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, which delivers atmospheric column measurements of sulfur dioxide and other gases with an unprecedented spatial resolution and daily revisit time. Specifically, we automatically extract the volcanic clouds by introducing a two-step approach. Firstly, we used the Simple Non-Iterative Clustering segmentation method, which is an object-based image analysis approach; secondly, the K-means unsupervised machine learning technique is applied to the segmented images, allowing a further and better clustering to distinguish the SO2. We implemented this algorithm in the open-source Google Earth Engine computing platform, which provides TROPOMI imagery collection adjusted in terms of quality parameters. As case studies, we chose three volcanoes: Mount Etna (Italy), Taal (Philippines) and Sangay (Ecuador); we calculated sulfur dioxide mass values from 2018 to date, focusing on a few paroxysmal events. Our results are compared with data available in the literature and with Level 2 TROPOMI imagery, where a mask is provided to identify SO2, finding an optimal agreement. This work paves the way to the release of SO2 flux time series with reduced delay and improved calculation time, hence contributing to a rapid response to volcanic unrest/eruption at volcanoes worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

30 pages, 12791 KiB  
Article
Tiltmeter Data Revealing Transient Magma Viscosity Changes During Eruptions
by David Gomez-Ortiz, Jose Arnoso, Silvia Martín-Velázquez, Tomás Martín-Crespo, Fuensanta González Montesinos, Emilio Vélez and Maite Benavent
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(2), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17020317 - 17 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1027
Abstract
Volcanic processes related to episodes of inflation, dike propagation, effusive activity, etc., can be detected by continuous surface tilt measurements. The interpretation of these measurements helps comprehend medium-to-short-term precursors of volcanic eruptions or establishes early warning alerts. Additionally, studying the transport and evolution [...] Read more.
Volcanic processes related to episodes of inflation, dike propagation, effusive activity, etc., can be detected by continuous surface tilt measurements. The interpretation of these measurements helps comprehend medium-to-short-term precursors of volcanic eruptions or establishes early warning alerts. Additionally, studying the transport and evolution of magmas from the Moho to the crust is key to understanding the eruptive process, but to date, they have not been traced from surface tilts. In this work, we witnessed two relevant and unique dynamic eruptive processes, as revealed by tilt signals, both in the 2021 La Palma eruption and in the 2011–2012 El Hierro eruption (Canary Islands). On the one hand, magma injection from the reservoir at depth is controlled by a pressure gradient. On the other hand, changes in magma viscosity, resulting from pressure variations, have been revealed from cyclic tilt signals. In the case of these signals, matching with a physical model helped us decipher them and establish the duration of this magmatic process, which varied depending on the size and rheological properties of the respective magma plumbing systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

21 pages, 24381 KiB  
Article
Twenty Years of Thermal Infrared Observations (2004–2024) at Campi Flegrei Caldera (Italy) by the Permanent Surveillance Ground Network of INGV-Osservatorio Vesuviano
by Fabio Sansivero and Giuseppe Vilardo
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(17), 3352; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16173352 - 9 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1422
Abstract
Thermal infrared (TIR) time series images acquired by ground, proximal TIR stations provide valuable data to study evolution of surface temperature fields of diffuse degassing volcanic areas. This paper presents data processing results related to TIR images acquired since 2004 by six ground [...] Read more.
Thermal infrared (TIR) time series images acquired by ground, proximal TIR stations provide valuable data to study evolution of surface temperature fields of diffuse degassing volcanic areas. This paper presents data processing results related to TIR images acquired since 2004 by six ground stations in the permanent thermal infrared surveillance network at Campi Flegrei (TIRNet) set up by INGV-Osservatorio Vesuviano. These results are reported as surface temperature and heat flux time series. The processing methodologies, also discussed in this paper, allow for presentation of the raw TIR image data in a more comprehensible form, suitable for comparisons with other geophysical parameters. A preliminary comparison between different trends in the surface temperature and heat flux values recorded by the TIRNet stations provides evidence of peculiar changes corresponding to periods of intense seismicity at the Campi Flegrei caldera. During periods characterized by modest seismicity, no remarkable evidence of common temperature variations was recorded by the different TIRNet stations. Conversely, almost all the TIRNet stations exhibited common temperature variations, even on a small scale, during periods of significant seismic activity. The comparison between the seismicity and the variations in the surface temperature and heat flux trends suggests an increase in efficiency of heat transfer between the magmatic system and the surface when an increase in seismic activity was registered. This evidence recommends a deeper, multidisciplinary study of this correlation to improve understanding of the volcanic processes affecting the Campi Flegrei caldera. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

29 pages, 1171 KiB  
Review
Monitoring Volcanic Plumes and Clouds Using Remote Sensing: A Systematic Review
by Rui Mota, José M. Pacheco, Adriano Pimentel and Artur Gil
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1789; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101789 - 18 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2280
Abstract
Volcanic clouds pose significant threats to air traffic, human health, and economic activity, making early detection and monitoring crucial. Accurate determination of eruptive source parameters is crucial for forecasting and implementing preventive measures. This review article aims to identify the most common remote [...] Read more.
Volcanic clouds pose significant threats to air traffic, human health, and economic activity, making early detection and monitoring crucial. Accurate determination of eruptive source parameters is crucial for forecasting and implementing preventive measures. This review article aims to identify the most common remote sensing methods for monitoring volcanic clouds. To achieve this, we conducted a systematic literature review of scientific articles indexed in the Web of Science database published between 2010 and 2022, using multiple query strings across all fields. The articles were reviewed based on research topics, remote sensing methods, practical applications, case studies, and outcomes using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our study found that satellite-based remote sensing approaches are the most cost-efficient and accessible, allowing for the monitoring of volcanic clouds at various spatial scales. Brightness temperature difference is the most commonly used method for detecting volcanic clouds at a specified temperature threshold. Approaches that apply machine learning techniques help overcome the limitations of traditional methods. Despite the constraints imposed by spatial and temporal resolution and optical limitations of sensors, multiplatform approaches can overcome these limitations and improve accuracy. This study explores various techniques for monitoring volcanic clouds, identifies research gaps, and lays the foundation for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing Technology in Volcano Hazard Monitoring)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop