NASA scientists may be able to predict volcanic explosions by monitoring how trees respond from space. Now, in a new cooperation with the Smithsonian Foundation, they discovered that the leaves of trees grow green and more green when the formerly sleeping carbon dioxide leaks from the ground – an early warning that the magma cone is pushed up. Now, using satellites such as Landsat 8 and data from the last Avuelo mission, scientists believe that this biological response can be visible from remoteness, as it acts as an additional layer of early warning of explosions in high -risk regions that threaten millions around the world now.
NASA is used as trees as a guide on the satellite to warn the early volcano eruption in remote areas
According to the research before NASA land The Department of Science at the Ames Research Center, Greening occurs when trees absorb the volcanic carbon dioxide that was launched with high magma. These emissions precede sulfur dioxide and are difficult to discover directly from orbit.
While carbon dioxide does not seem always clear in satellite images, its effects in the direction of the river course – for example – can help boost current volcanic early volcanic alarm systems. It may be important because, as an American geological survey He saysThe country is still one of the most active volcanoes.
On the global level, there are about 1,350 volcanoes that are likely to be active, many in remote or dangerous locations. The site’s gas measurement is expensive and dangerous, which causes volcanic scientists such as Robert Bouj and Nicole Gwen to explore the agents based on trees.
Gueen’s study of trees papers on the Sicily Mountain of Etna found a strong correlation between the color of the paper and the underground volcanic activity. Satellites such as Sentinel-2 and Terra have proven capable of capturing these fine plant changes, especially in forest volcanic areas.
To confirm this method, climate scientist Josh Fisher led NASA Smithson’s teams in March 2025 to Panama and Costa Rica, collecting tree samples and measuring gas levels near active volcanoes. Fischer believes that this multidisciplinary research is the key to both volcanoes and understanding the response of long -term carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which will reveal future climate conditions.
The benefits of early carbon dioxide detection were proven in the Mayon volcano eruption in 2017 in the Philippines, which allowed collective evacuation and saved more than 56,000 people. It has its restrictions, such as bad terrain or a lot of environmental noise, but it may be a game change.
