SKATE Enhances Volcano Monitoring Safety

When hundreds volcanologists gathered in Geneva last July for the world's largest conference on volcanologyItaly National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) paid special attention. INGV represented results over five years of very close observations of Stromboli, one of the most observed volcanoes in the Mediterranean. Frequent small eruptions make it both a natural laboratory for volcanologists and a constant safety concern for the island's roughly 500 residents and thousands of tourists.

The past three years of careful observations have been made possible by a portable observatory called the Kinematic Recording Facility for Explosive Eruptions, or SKATE. The suitcase-sized system is equipped with technology that captures eruptions at hundreds of frames per second, synchronously recording their roar and heat.

Filming and analyzing an explosive eruption at close range over several hours, while simultaneously collecting data on its temperature, sound and movement, has historically been difficult and dangerous. But this data scientists it is necessary to understand how eruptions work and evolve over time. SKATE makes this process safer and easier by autonomously recording synchronized observatory data streams and minimizing the time researchers must spend on the slopes of the volcano.

“Explosive eruptions are extremely fast processes in which particles the size of a truck or a speck of dust can travel at speeds ranging from a few meters per second to supersonic speed,” says Jacopo Taddeuccisenior researcher at INGV. “You need cameras capturing hundreds of frames per second and instruments that can simultaneously see, hear and feel the eruption to understand cause and effect.”

In addition to Stromboli, SKATE was tested at nearby Mount Etnaand also on Fire of Guatemala And Volcanoes of Santiaguito. All over the world 500 million people live near active volcanoes, many of which ] without any monitoring system. INGV is now planning deployment to other volcanoes, including Mount Yasur in Vanuatu, Known as the “Lighthouse of the Pacific” due to its almost continuous eruptions with rhythmic releases of hot lava and gas.

Innovative volcanological technology SKATE

SKATE was assembled Process equipment Engineering solutions (TEES), Italian manufacturer of custom scientific instruments and DevesoftSlovenian company specializing in high-speed data collection and measuring systems. Two companies Following INGV's specifications, packaging the entire observatory in a rigid polypropylene enclosure came with a budget of €50,000 (about US$58,000).

SKATE is an upgraded successor to an earlier INGV prototype known as FAMoUS (Fast Multi-Variable Unit), which first proved the value of combining high-speed, thermal and acoustic sensors. But it also had serious drawbacks: it was heavy and bulky, time-consuming to set up on site, and required manual triggering, forcing researchers to spend hours in hazardous areas to capture just a few sequences.

SKATE is more portable and easier to deploy than its predecessor, a system called FAMoUS.Piergiorgio Scarlato and Jacopo Taddeucci

Inside SKATE waterproof PC coordinates thermal imaging camera recording at 32 frames per second, and high speed camera which records a series of frames when sudden changes in temperature are detected. Continuous 4K video the takeover would actually quickly sink SKATE data storagesince recording 4K in one day will require 100 times more memory than SKATE.

“The real problem was not connecting the cameras and sensors,” says Alessia LongoDewesoft engineer. “This forced them to write to a single, perfectly synchronized file and tamed the flow of data.”

This data is stored on two solid-state drives with a total capacity of up to 6 terabytes, and in good weather the system operates autonomously for a whole day, relying on solar panels and replaceable batteries.

“The creativity of a volcanologist lies in the ability to use technologies developed for other industries, such as high-speed cameras used at sporting events or military thermal imaging cameras. image scannersand adapt them for scientific research on active volcanoes,” says Piergiorgio ScarlatoDirector of Research at INGV.

Modular design improves volcano monitoring

Located between 300 and 900 meters from the active springs of Stromboli, SKATE operates almost entirely independently. Researchers go outside only once a day to change batteries and memory cards.

The design is also modular. In addition to thermal, high-speed and acoustic sensors, INGV is currently testing SKATE with a UV camera for quantitative evaluation. sulfur dioxide emissions. It also tests a laser rangefinder that determines the distance to a volcano plume or crater rim, as well as moving slopes, ten times per second. It can also provide analysis of individual lava bombs and rock fragments ejected during eruptions, allowing precise reconstruction of their trajectories and landing sites.

“Depth is what brings dimension to an impressive image,” says Scarlato. “By understanding how volcanic projectiles are launched, how far they travel and where they land, we can better assess the impact of eruptions on people, infrastructure and the environment.”

On Stromboli, the INGV team analyzed more than a thousand explosions recorded between 2019 and 2024 and matches high-speed video, temperature and audio. They found that each vent takes on its own personality: gas-rich jets sound softer and linger longer, while volcanic bombs (chunks of lava ejected during an eruption) and ash-rich explosions roar briefly and send hot fragments higher into the air.

Role of SKATE in volcanic data analysis

SKATE is not a 24/7 alarm system. This is too complex and data intensive to stream from the crater rim in real time. Instead, it helps fixed monitoring networks located further away from the crater, e.g. thermal cameras, infrasound arrays and other tools to better understand their signals.

Researcher uses SKATE for monitoring volcano.Piergiorgio Scarlato and Jacopo Taddeucci

SKATE data helps scientists test hypotheses about how gas bubbles rise and burst within magma, how volcanic conduits form, and study underground processes that conventional monitoring cannot see. INGV aims to turn some repeating patterns into reference ones. libraries this could teach automated systems to recognize early warning signs in real-time data streams.

SKATE's success is changing the way volcanologists monitor active volcanoes for warning signs. But volcanoes will never be truly predictable or safe environments. Humidity often corrodes cables and fogs up the camera lenses. During one of the recent operations, a goat ate a microphone cable. And in the recent Stromboli study, INGV experimented with a new black-and-white high-speed sensor ideal for tracking glowing bombs at night, and this proved more difficult than expected because Stromboli's flashes only last a few seconds and make it difficult for the sensor to focus on them.

Despite the obstacles, the fast and detailed data provided by SKATE is welcome. “Working in such extreme conditions, with humidity, gases and sudden temperature changes, is a real test for any technology,” says Scarlato. “The difference now is that our interventions last minutes rather than hours.”