05/25/2025
Trees near volcanoes act as early warning systems. 🚨
Before a volcano erupts, magma rising beneath the surface releases gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Detecting that CO₂ early is difficult – it’s invisible, odourless, and already abundant in the atmosphere. But now, scientists have discovered that trees near volcanoes may act as early warning systems – and their signals can be seen from orbit.
As CO₂ builds up in the soil and air, trees absorb it. Their leaves become greener, photosynthesis increases, and their light reflectance changes subtle biological shifts that satellites like NASA’s Landsat 8 and ESA’s Sentinel-2 can detect.
A NASA-Smithsonian research team has now confirmed this method using both satellite data and ground measurements near volcanoes in Chile and Costa Rica. They collected leaf samples, measured CO₂ directly, and matched it with greening visible from space.
This could be a game-changer for early eruption detection. Around 10% of the world’s population lives near potentially active volcanoes, many of which are in remote or dangerous terrain where installing traditional sensors is difficult. By tracking vegetation instead of CO₂ directly, scientists gain a safer, more scalable way to monitor volcanoes from afar.
This approach won’t work everywhere – not all volcanoes are forested, and vegetation can respond differently depending on the local climate. But when paired with existing tools like seismic monitoring and gas sensors, it adds a valuable new layer to our ability to detect volcanic unrest.
“There’s not one signal from volcanoes that’s a silver bullet,” says NASA volcanologist Florian Schwandner. “But this could change the game.”
Learn more: https://scitechdaily.com/volcanoes-send-secret-signals-through-trees-and-nasa-satellites-can-see-them/