Science: a laser radar will help predict future volcanic eruptions

The technology developed by ENEA researchers presented today at the German Space Agency in Munich

The prediction of future volcanic eruptions and prompt alert of neighbouring populations could soon be a reality thanks to an entirely made-in-Italy technology presented at the German Space Agency’s conference of European experts and field-leading companies, held today in Munich. It is a laser radar (or lidar) developed by ENEA researchers and based on a very sophisticated technology, allowing to measure CO₂ concentration in volcanic gases, an operation otherwise rare, slow, dangerous and complex, also for the difficulties posed by distance.

Volcanologists requested ENEA to develop a laser radar capable of making fast and remote measurements of carbon dioxide contained in volcanic fumes, providing more accurate eruption prediction models so that populations might be promptly alerted in case of danger.

‘’Measuring carbon dioxide in volcanic smoke plumes is a scientific and technological challenge extremely important. Actually eruptions are proved to be preceded by a higher release of gas in the smoke plumes from the crater’’ said Luca Fiorani, researcher of the ENEA Frascati Diagnostics and Metrology Laboratory, who created the laser radar.

Developed under the European Research Council’s BRIDGE (Bridging the gap between gas emissions and geophysical observations at active Volcanoes) project, coordinated by Prof. Alessandro Aiuppa (University of Palermo), this laser radar was named BILLI, the acronym for BrIdge voLcanic Lidar.

BILLI can make distance measurements up to 1 km; thanks to its mirror system the laser beam can be oriented in any direction, aiming with the maximum accuracy at the volcanic smoke plume area to be investigated.  The first field tests were performed on 13 to 17 October at Pozzuoli Solfatara with the support of researchers from the ENEA Portici Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry.

BILLI lasar radar technology can also find application in hostile environments, such as areas where a fire did break out or in industrial or urban areas subject to emissions from combustion processes.

See the following video for more detailed information:

http://webtv.enea.it/Members/webtvadmin/videos/billicontrollovulcani.mpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Sh60nQEMw&feature=youtu.be