借助现代传感器技术监测火山气体数据，对于了解火山爆发的原因至关重要。但对科研工作者来说，靠近火山开展科研，是一项非常危险的工作，也会给后勤运输带来很大挑战。目前，借助无人机技术，国外研究人员已能高效地将检测装置部署到位，不但能把风险降到最低，而且也能提高传感器数据的收集效率。下面是两则与此相关的应用案例。
英国布里斯托尔大学2018年9月7日称，该校研究团队开发出一种轻量级火山活动情况监测装置，这种精密仪器，不但能在火山的严酷环境中持续工作，且可由无人机搭载，从而避免人员遇险。
这一新装置被称为“龙之蛋”，小巧轻便，内部配备了能对温度、湿度、震动，及多种有毒气体进行实时监测的传感器。由于整个装置重量控制较好，研究人员可直接用无人机把它放置在火山口附近。装置能将收集到的数据，传回远处的工作站，进行火山灾害评估。
更重要的是，这个装置通常处于节电状态，直到其中一个特殊的探测器，感测到火山活动带来的震动时，才会唤醒其他探测器和传感器，使整个装置进入全面工作状态。这类特殊探测器所需能量很少，目前已在意大利一座火山上开展过实地测试。
研究团队表示，这种装置仍需进一步开发，未来有望在冰川观测、核废料储存设施安全检测等场景中发挥作用。
在世界上，每年大约有50到60个活火山发生大爆发，造成的健康和经济风险涉及10亿人，其中便包括对于气候和航空的危害。比如，2018年1月下旬，菲律宾马荣火山爆发，超过7万人安全撤离。这一重要通知，便是监测部门基于事故发生前兆而进行的及时通报。二氧化碳增加排放量是火山正在恢复和可能爆发的最早指标之一，但在很多火山上，尤其是在热带地区，很难将这些仪器放在火山上。
为更好地了解火山活动及带来的后果，提高火山喷发的规划和预警能力，2018年1月，美国国家航空航天局实验室（NASA）便与该国企业合作，希望通过测量和监测火山口喷发的气体，更好地了解火山活动及其后果，并提高火山喷发的规划和预警能力。
该项目在哥斯达黎加进行，采用了一款名为Black Swift S2的小型无人机系统，可通过无人机飞越活火山附近森林冠层，捕获空中的二氧化碳含量来测量数据，从而更准确地测量存在于从通风口、包括被树冠遮蔽的火山范围内释放的气体化合物，以帮助量化火山的生命周期。
据了解，这款无人机配备了测量火山喷发过程中能感应二氧化碳和水蒸汽的传感器。未来，该无人机系统还可包含可测量甲烷、硫化氢和二氧化硫的传感器，用于评估火山颗粒大小和分布的浊度计，以及用于分析压力，温度，湿度和三维风向的大气探头。
相关研究证明，二氧化碳的排放水平，可用来测量和预测火山爆发的风险。从火山喷口和裂缝，喷气孔和扩散侧翼排放物释放到大气中的气体浓度增加表明爆发的可能性更高。通过研究这种气体混合物的组成并监测其组成的波动，科学家们发现他们可以更好地预测火山爆发的可能性。
Monitoring volcanic gas data with modern sensor technology is crucial to understanding the causes of volcanic eruptions. But for scientists, being close to a volcano can be dangerous work and poses logistical challenges. Currently, with the help of unmanned aerial vehicle technology, foreign researchers have been able to deploy detection devices efficiently, not only minimizing risks, but also improving the efficiency of sensor data collection. Here are two related application cases.
The university of Bristol said on September 7, 2018 that a team of researchers at the university of Bristol has developed a lightweight volcano monitoring device that can work continuously in the harsh conditions of a volcano.
The new device, called dragon's egg, is small and lightweight, equipped with sensors that can monitor temperature, humidity, vibrations and a variety of toxic gases in real time. Because the device is weight-controlled, researchers can place it directly near the crater using drones. The device can transmit the collected data back to remote workstations for assessment of volcanic hazards.
What's more, the device is usually in a power-saving state until one of the special detectors senses the vibrations of volcanic activity and wakes up the other detectors and sensors, bringing the whole thing into full operation. The special detectors, which require little energy, have been tested on a volcano in Italy.
The team said the device still needs to be developed and could play a role in future scenarios such as glacier observations and safety inspections of nuclear waste storage facilities.
Each year, about 50 to 60 active volcanoes erupt in the world, causing health and economic risks for 1 billion people, including climate and aviation hazards. For example, in late January 2018, the mayon volcano in the Philippines erupted and more than 70,000 people were evacuated. This important notice is the monitoring department based on the accident warning and timely notification. Increased emissions of carbon dioxide are one of the earliest indicators that volcanoes are recovering and may erupt, but on many volcanoes, especially in the tropics, it is difficult to put these instruments on volcanoes.
For a better understanding of volcanic activity and the consequences of, improve the planning and early warning ability of volcanic eruption, in January 2018, the United States national aeronautics and space administration (NASA) laboratory and enterprise cooperation, hope through the gas measuring and monitoring the volcano eruption, a better understanding of volcanic activity and its consequences, and improve the planning and early warning ability of volcanic eruption.
The project conducted in costa rica, adopted a small unmanned aircraft system, called Black Swift S2 by drones flying over active volcano near the forest canopy, capture the carbon dioxide content of the air to measure data, so as to more accurately measure exists in from within the scope of volcanic vents, including the crown cover releasing gas compounds, to help quantify the life cycle of the volcano.
The drone is equipped with sensors that measure carbon dioxide and water vapor as the volcano erupts. In the future, the uas will also include sensors to measure methane, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, turbidimeters to assess the size and distribution of volcanic particles, and atmospheric probes to analyze pressure, temperature, humidity and three-dimensional wind direction.
Studies have shown that levels of carbon dioxide emissions can be used to measure and predict the risk of volcanic eruptions. Increased concentrations of gases released into the atmosphere from volcanic vents and fissures, vents, and diffused flanks indicate a higher probability of eruptions. By studying the composition of the gas mixture and monitoring its fluctuations, scientists have found they can better predict the likelihood of a volcanic eruption.