Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica)
Volcano monitoring is the key approach in mitigating the risks associated with volcanic phenomena. Although Antarctic volcanoes are characterized by remoteness, the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption and the 2022 Hunga eruption have reminded us that even the farthest and/or least-known volcanoes can pos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7594 |
| _version_ | 1827727771113095168 |
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| author | Graziano Larocca Danilo Contrafatto Andrea Cannata Gaetano Giudice |
| author_facet | Graziano Larocca Danilo Contrafatto Andrea Cannata Gaetano Giudice |
| author_sort | Graziano Larocca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Volcano monitoring is the key approach in mitigating the risks associated with volcanic phenomena. Although Antarctic volcanoes are characterized by remoteness, the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption and the 2022 Hunga eruption have reminded us that even the farthest and/or least-known volcanoes can pose significant hazards to large and distant communities. Hence, it is important to also develop monitoring systems in the Antarctic volcanoes, which involves installing and maintaining multiparametric instrument networks. These tasks are particularly challenging in polar regions as the instruments have to face the most extreme climate on the Earth, characterized by very low temperatures and strong winds. In this work, we describe the multiparametric monitoring system recently deployed on the Melbourne volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica), consisting of seismic, geochemical and thermal sensors together with powering, transmission and acquisition systems. Particular strategies have been applied to make the monitoring stations efficient despite the extreme weather conditions. Fumarolic ice caves, located on the summit area of the Melbourne volcano, were chosen as installation sites as they are protected places where no storm can damage the instruments and temperatures are close to 0 °C all year round. In addition, the choice of instruments and their operating mode has also been driven by the necessity to reduce energy consumption. Indeed, one of the most complicated tasks in Antarctica is powering a remote instrument year-round. The technological solutions found to implement the monitoring system of the Melbourne volcano and described in this work can help create volcano monitoring infrastructures in other polar environments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:12:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c624dcdf9a9b4386b293ab597c97b151 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:12:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-c624dcdf9a9b4386b293ab597c97b1512023-11-19T08:51:58ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-09-012317759410.3390/s23177594Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica)Graziano Larocca0Danilo Contrafatto1Andrea Cannata2Gaetano Giudice3Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Osservatorio Etneo, Piazza Roma 2, 95123 Catania, ItalyVolcano monitoring is the key approach in mitigating the risks associated with volcanic phenomena. Although Antarctic volcanoes are characterized by remoteness, the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption and the 2022 Hunga eruption have reminded us that even the farthest and/or least-known volcanoes can pose significant hazards to large and distant communities. Hence, it is important to also develop monitoring systems in the Antarctic volcanoes, which involves installing and maintaining multiparametric instrument networks. These tasks are particularly challenging in polar regions as the instruments have to face the most extreme climate on the Earth, characterized by very low temperatures and strong winds. In this work, we describe the multiparametric monitoring system recently deployed on the Melbourne volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica), consisting of seismic, geochemical and thermal sensors together with powering, transmission and acquisition systems. Particular strategies have been applied to make the monitoring stations efficient despite the extreme weather conditions. Fumarolic ice caves, located on the summit area of the Melbourne volcano, were chosen as installation sites as they are protected places where no storm can damage the instruments and temperatures are close to 0 °C all year round. In addition, the choice of instruments and their operating mode has also been driven by the necessity to reduce energy consumption. Indeed, one of the most complicated tasks in Antarctica is powering a remote instrument year-round. The technological solutions found to implement the monitoring system of the Melbourne volcano and described in this work can help create volcano monitoring infrastructures in other polar environments.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7594sensor networkvolcano monitoringextreme weather conditionsAntarctica |
| spellingShingle | Graziano Larocca Danilo Contrafatto Andrea Cannata Gaetano Giudice Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) Sensors sensor network volcano monitoring extreme weather conditions Antarctica |
| title | Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) |
| title_full | Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) |
| title_fullStr | Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) |
| title_short | Multiparametric Monitoring System of Mt. Melbourne Volcano (Victoria Land, Antarctica) |
| title_sort | multiparametric monitoring system of mt melbourne volcano victoria land antarctica |
| topic | sensor network volcano monitoring extreme weather conditions Antarctica |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/17/7594 |
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