Volcano monitoring

New Zealand has 12 active volcanoes that

we monitor as part of the GeoNet programme.

Our plate tectonic setting creates these

volcanoes, which are unique

features of the landscape,

and they attract

thousands of visitors per year.

Volcanoes are awe-inspiring, but they're

hazardous in an eruption.

Monitoring volcanoes allows us to

understand how active a volcano is,

and what the likelihood is that it could

erupt in the near future.

We inform our key stakeholders so they

can make decisions

based on that information,

and maybe actions that

they might need to take.

Volcanic activity is driven by magma.

As this magma rises to shallow levels,

gases and fluids from it

interact with the

volcano's hydrothermal system.

This can create seismic, chemical,

thermal, and visual

indicators of activity,

as well as ground deformation.

These indicators give us insights into

what may be happening in a volcano.

We use several techniques to collect data

to monitor volcanic activity,

and oftentimes we use remote

monitoring stations like this.

There's a range of equipment that our

field stations may have.

We use seismometers for ground shaking.

We monitor ground deformation.

We have acoustic sensors

to detect a volcanic blast,

spectrometers for volcanic gases,

and we have data loggers recording

temperatures and levels of volcanic features,

such as crater lakes,

fumaroles, and hot springs.

We also have a network of cameras that

provide visual confirmation

of any activity occurring on the surface.

Some data, like volcanic gas samples,

need to be collected

manually at a volcano.

This can be done either by gas

measurement flights,

or directly sampling

fumaroles or crater lakes.

These gas samples are

analysed in our labs,

and importantly they tell us if fresh

magma is moving in the volcano

and interacting with

the hydrothermal system.

Many of our monitoring sites are in harsh

volcanic environments.

Because of this, the

sites need to be robust enough

to continuously operate

for long periods of time.

Near active volcanic vents, however,

solar panels can lose their effectiveness

from the shadowing

effect from a denser plume,

from ash in the air, and from ballistics

damaging the solar panels.

Keeping instrumentation and other

electronics operational

in volcanic environments

has its challenges.

The areas can be highly corrosive,

so we take steps to seal the electronics

away from the air as best as possible,

and use materials that can better

withstand the harsh environment.

Our remote infrastructure

monitoring team maintain the sites

in order to keep the data flowing,

so it can be available for the National

Geohazards Monitoring Centre,

our duty officers, and scientists.

Our monitoring data helps us set the

volcanic alert level

for each of the volcanoes.

We collect all of that information to

tell us about the state

of unrest of the volcano,

or if it's an eruption, how

that eruption is progressing.

All of this data collectively allows us

to understand the state of the volcano,

and the information that we provide from

that comes through in the

volcanic activity bulletin.

This is our way of communicating the

status of the volcano at any given time.

Every little piece of

data we collect and interpret

helps us to understand

more about how volcanoes work.

In addition to monitoring volcanoes for

their scientific benefit,

the information that we provide plays a

key role in keeping people safe.