Volcano monitoring is one of the new directions being prepared for the Monitoring section of the Geohazards Exploitation Platform.
The goal is to provide a dedicated entry point for users interested in following volcanic areas with Earth Observation data, combining access to satellite observations, processing workflows, and thematic products that can support research, preparedness, and event-related analysis.
This activity builds on the work of GET-it — Geohazards Early Digital Twin Component, an ESA project focused on the use of EO data, modelling tools, and stakeholder-driven workflows for geohazard monitoring.
From EO observations to volcano indicators
Volcanic activity can be observed from space in several complementary ways. The future Volcano Monitoring entry point will help users move from data discovery to analysis-ready workflows, including:
- ground deformation monitoring using Sentinel-1 and InSAR-based products;
- thermal anomaly detection for active vents, lava domes, and lava flows;
- volcanic cloud and gas monitoring, including ash and SO₂-related information;
- topographic and surface-change analysis where suitable optical or elevation data are available;
- scenario preparation and interpretation, connecting EO-derived indicators with modelling workflows.
Image: Conceptual volcano monitoring workflow, showing how EO and geospatial data can support deformation, thermal, ash/SO₂, and surface-change indicators.
Why GET-it matters for GEP
GET-it is helping organise a set of geohazard processing modules around a Digital Twin Component approach. For volcanoes, this includes modules and workflows related to deformation, thermal activity, volcanic clouds, plume dispersion, lava-flow modelling, and scenario generation.
For GEP users, the important point is practical: selected GET-it concepts and processing components can progressively become easier to access through the platform, with a clearer path from open EO data to reproducible analysis workflows.
The first developments focus on connecting existing EO processing capabilities, prototype interfaces, and demonstrator workflows. Over time, this can support more integrated volcano monitoring applications, where users can inspect available data, launch processing, compare outputs, and prepare event-specific analyses from a single environment.
Image: Conceptual integration of volcano monitoring modules into GEP, from processing services and shared data layers to monitoring dashboards, products, scenarios, and analyst feedback.
Demonstration cases
The GET-it work includes volcanic use cases such as Mount Etna 2018 and La Palma 2021, where EO data and modelling workflows are used to explore products such as Sentinel-1 interferograms, lava-flow inundation information, ash-related products, and volcanic ash forecasts.
These cases are useful examples for GEP because they show how different types of EO-derived information can be brought together around a volcanic event or an active volcanic area.
Coming next
The Monitoring → Volcanoes section will be used to share updates on the future volcano monitoring app and related GEP workflows.
As the service evolves, we expect to use this section to publish:
- short explanations of available volcano monitoring workflows;
- examples based on public EO data and selected volcano case studies;
- guidance on which GEP services to use for deformation, thermal, cloud, and surface-change analysis;
- updates on prototype interfaces and future access options.
We will update this topic as the Volcano Monitoring entry point progresses and more workflows become available. Click Watching at the bottom of the topic if you would like to receive notifications when new information is posted.