Amid new threats of fresh volcanic activities in Iceland, ground-breaking research has revealed that the plants surrounding the volcanoes turn greener just before the eruption is about to happen. The study shows that observing the plants and trees around the volcanoes can serve as effective warning system in the future.
The research, led by McGill University’s Robert Bogue, was first published in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. The research shows that the plants turn greener possibly due to increased amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere just before the eruption. For the study, the researchers observed all the satellite images of America’s Yellowstone national park for nearly four decades – 1984 to 2022.
But not all volcanoes are easily accessible. Heavy vegetation, hazardous gases in the atmosphere makes it very difficult to directly monitor volcanoes. However, this study will help the scientists to notice any movement by simply looking at the satellite images of the volcanoes and their surrounding areas.
What happens at the peak of volcanic activity?
At the peak of volcanic activity, however, plants turn browner. It is because of high temperatures and increased sulphur dioxide, the study said. The warning mechanism is likely to work well on conical shaped stratovolcanoes in areas in the Philippines or Italy’s Mount Etna.