Each month we highlight one of our Scoping Studies, each funded through our Collaboration Building Workshops. This month we welcome a blog post from Dr Dan Peters and the team using RAL Space’s expertise in sensor development to expand our knowledge of air quality in volcanic plumes.

Volcanic hazards are varied in nature, and among these, issues relating to volcanic gas and particulates can be investigated from the perspective of air quality research.

Volcanic ash poses a threat on a range of scales, ranging from ashfall in local communities to regional risks to aviation. Volcanic gases pose a further threat to the surrounding area, stemming largely from emissions of sulphur dioxide. For example, “vog” – volcanic smog – is a recurring issue in Hawaii, formed as volcanic SO2 interacts with the surrounding atmosphere to produce sulphuric acid aerosols.

Small eruptions of the kind common at volcanoes such as Stromboli (Italy) and Kilauea (Hawaii) produce plumes reaching up to hundreds of metres in the atmosphere, which drift in the direction of the prevailing wind (Figure 1). Whilst plume dispersion models can predict the direction of travel of plumes, local measurements are needed to constrain the volume of pollutants present and verify the predictions of models.

Figure 1. Plumes of gas and ash during an eruption of Stromboli in September 2019. Image: Jean-François Smekens

Although many active volcanoes have established monitoring networks, a network of ground-based sensors is unlikely to be sufficiently dense to fully monitor the development of a moving plume; and monitoring networks may not be present at all around newly active volcanoes. Additionally, it is desirable to be able to measure pollutants at altitude within the plume and along its dispersal axis, as these may later affect communities further downwind.

To address these challenges Jean-François Smekens [1] joined the SAQN Collaboration Building Workshop, where the consortium expertise in volcanology, UAVs, aerosol and gas sampling were brought together. The consortium are aiming to develop a new instrument for monitoring particulates and sulphur dioxide in volcanic plumes, as well as carbon dioxide, another important measurement in volcanological studies. Our aim is to build an instrument utilising commercial off the shelf components suitable for mounting on a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). We will utilise the STFC RAL Space UAV facility [2], expertise in payload design and operation [3], and STFC’s expertise in aerosol and gas handling [4]. The instrumented UAV will be available to other researchers via STFC for air quality studies.

Whilst a number of published studies have been conducted using UAVs to monitor volcanic emissions, a remaining challenge is to combine unbiased sampling of particulates with simultaneous measurements of gas concentrations. Such co-located measurements are necessary to understand the interactions between gas and particles during transport, and to more accurately model the dispersal of both. To support this aim, our instrument is designed to be mounted on a fixed-wing UAV, which not only enables longer range than multirotor UAVs but also permits a relatively stable airflow across the airfoil. Using modelling and simulations capabilities from the Computational Engineering Group in the Scientific Computing Department [5] at STFC, we aim to configure an instrument for isokinetic sampling to enable us to simultaneously carry out gas measurements and unbiased sampling of particulates.

[1] https://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/people/jean-francois-smekens, http://www.jfsmekens.com/about/

[2] https://www.ralspace.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/Autonomous-Systems-Facilities.aspx

[3] https://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/aae/staff/cunjia-liu/

[4] https://www.ukspacefacilities.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/RAL-Space-Molecular-Spectroscopy-Facility.aspx

[5] https://www.scd.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/Computational-Engineering.aspx

620 thoughts on “Feature Scoping Study: A UAV-ready sensor package for rapid deployment during volcanic crisis

  1. Pingback: cialis
  2. Pingback: buy cialis germany
  3. Pingback: deiun.flazio.com
  4. Pingback: viagra canada
  5. Pingback: buy viagra usa
  6. Pingback: viagra canada
  7. Pingback: gewrt.usluga.me
  8. Pingback: canadian drugstore
  9. Pingback: drugs for sale
  10. Pingback: aonubs.website2.me
  11. Pingback: canada pharmacies
  12. Pingback: Gz92uNNH
  13. Pingback: DPTPtNqS
  14. Pingback: qQ8KZZE6
  15. Pingback: D6tuzANh
  16. Pingback: SHKALA TONOV
  17. Pingback: chelovek-iz-90-h
  18. Pingback: sdtyli.zombeek.cz
  19. Pingback: 3Hk12Bl
  20. Pingback: 3NOZC44
  21. Pingback: 01211
  22. Pingback: tor-lyubov-i-grom
  23. Pingback: film-tor-2022
  24. Pingback: hd-tor-2022
  25. Pingback: hdorg2.ru
  26. Pingback: JXNhGmmt
  27. Pingback: Psikholog
  28. Pingback: netstate.ru
  29. Pingback: Link
  30. Pingback: canada rx
  31. Pingback: psy
  32. Pingback: bit.ly
  33. Pingback: viagra canada
  34. Pingback: herbsd.iwopop.com
  35. Pingback: cleantalkorg2.ru
  36. Pingback: kawerf.iwopop.com
  37. Pingback: bucha killings
  38. Pingback: War in Ukraine
  39. Pingback: Ukraine
  40. Pingback: site
  41. Pingback: cialis.iwopop.com
  42. Pingback: stats
  43. Pingback: Ukraine-war
  44. Pingback: movies
  45. Pingback: gidonline
  46. Pingback: video
  47. Pingback: kvqtig.zombeek.cz
  48. Pingback: kwerks.iwopop.com
  49. Pingback: pharmacy
  50. Pingback: film
  51. Pingback: hkwerf.micro.blog
  52. Pingback: fermser.flazio.com
  53. Pingback: cialis from canada
  54. Pingback: canada drugs
  55. Pingback: filmgoda.ru
  56. Pingback: rodnoe-kino-ru
  57. Pingback: buy cialis usa
  58. Pingback: confeitofilm
  59. Pingback: stat.netstate.ru
  60. Pingback: buy cialis delhi
  61. Pingback: buy cialis
  62. Pingback: lasweb.iwopop.com
  63. Pingback: sY5am
  64. Pingback: kwenzx.nethouse.ru
  65. Pingback: Dom drakona
  66. Pingback: JGXldbkj
  67. Pingback: aOuSjapt
  68. Pingback: buy generic viagra
  69. Pingback: ìûøëåíèå
  70. Pingback: buy viagra uk
  71. Pingback: psikholog moskva
  72. Pingback: Usik Dzhoshua 2
  73. Pingback: Dim Drakona 2022
  74. Pingback: buy viagra usa
  75. Pingback: buy viagra no rx
  76. Pingback: buy viagra no rx
  77. Pingback: TwnE4zl6
  78. Pingback: buy generic viagra
  79. Pingback: buy viagra cheap
  80. Pingback: psy 3CtwvjS
  81. Pingback: lalochesia
  82. Pingback: canadian drugs
  83. Pingback: film onlinee
  84. Pingback: canadian viagra
  85. Pingback: online pharmacy
  86. Pingback: Northwest Pharmacy
  87. Pingback: stromectol doses
  88. Pingback: stromectol price
  89. Pingback: video-2
  90. Pingback: sezons.store
  91. Pingback: psy-news.ru
  92. Pingback: 000-1
  93. Pingback: 3SoTS32
  94. Pingback: 3DGofO7
  95. Pingback: canada drug
  96. Pingback: canada medication
  97. Pingback: stromectol drug
  98. Pingback: stromectol generic
  99. Pingback: buy viagra usa
  100. Pingback: buy viagra now
  101. Pingback: drugstore online
  102. Pingback: rftrip.ru
  103. Pingback: what is stromectol
  104. Pingback: canada pharmacy
  105. Pingback: buy viagra now
  106. Pingback: dolpsy.ru
  107. Pingback: buy stromectol
  108. Pingback: kin0shki.ru
  109. Pingback: 3o9cpydyue4s8.ru
  110. Pingback: stromectol cream
  111. Pingback: mb588.ru
  112. Pingback: stromectol rosacea
  113. Pingback: newsukraine.ru
  114. Pingback: edu-design.ru
  115. Pingback: tftl.ru
  116. Pingback: canada drug
  117. Pingback: pharmacy canada
  118. Pingback: stromectol reviews
  119. Pingback: canada rx
  120. Pingback: brutv
  121. Pingback: stromectol scabies
  122. Pingback: site 2023
  123. Pingback: viagra canada
  124. Pingback: canada viagra
  125. Pingback: sitestats01
  126. Pingback: 1c789.ru
  127. Pingback: cttdu.ru
  128. Pingback: canadian drugstore
  129. Pingback: buy viagra now
  130. Pingback: online pharmacy
  131. Pingback: 1703
  132. Pingback: hdserial2023.ru
  133. Pingback: serialhd2023.ru
  134. Pingback: matchonline2022.ru
  135. Pingback: canadadrugs
  136. Pingback: bit.ly/3OEzOZR
  137. Pingback: bit.ly/3gGFqGq
  138. Pingback: bit.ly/3ARFdXA
  139. Pingback: bit.ly/3ig2UT5
  140. Pingback: bit.ly/3GQNK0J
  141. Pingback: bep5w0Df
  142. Pingback: online drug store
  143. Pingback: www
  144. Pingback: icf
  145. Pingback: 24hours-news
  146. Pingback: rusnewsweek
  147. Pingback: uluro-ado
  148. Pingback: irannews.ru
  149. Pingback: klondayk2022
  150. Pingback: drugs for sale
  151. Pingback: tqmFEB3B
  152. Pingback: canadian pharmacy
  153. Pingback: 2022-film
  154. Pingback: canadadrugs
  155. Pingback: pharmacy
  156. Pingback: mangalib
  157. Pingback: canadian pharmacy
  158. Pingback: https://gdznew.ru/
  159. Pingback: x
  160. Pingback: 9xflix
  161. Pingback: xnxx
  162. Pingback: 123movies
  163. Pingback: canada viagra
  164. Pingback: canada drugs
  165. Pingback: canadadrugs
  166. Pingback: kinokrad
  167. Pingback: batmanapollo
  168. Pingback: canada pharmacies
  169. Pingback: canada drug
  170. Pingback: vsovezdeisrazu
  171. Pingback: 2023
  172. Pingback: ipsychologos
  173. Pingback: yug-grib.ru
  174. Pingback: studio-tatuage.ru
  175. Pingback: drugs for sale

Comments are closed.