Volcano Monitoring

My Master’s project used high-resolution digital photographs and infrared images to monitor the growth and thermal evolution of the Volcan de Colima (Mexico) lava dome, from 2007 to 2010. Qualitative observations from the thermal images themselves provided much insight into active volcanic processes on the dome (e.g. rockfalls and fracturing). Thermal data was also used quantitatively to measure surface temperature changes and dome heat loss through time.

vdc_dome_thermal
The Volcan de Colim lava dome in 2010. A high-resolution thermal image overlaid upon a digital photograph. The images were aquired from a light aircraft flight over the volcano. For scale the crater rim is ~ 300 m across and the lava dome is rough 50 m in height.