Skip to content

VolcanoInSight: A webcam system for monitoring volcanic activity in Iceland

^^Talfan Barnie^1^, Kjartan Akil Jónsson1, Sara Barsotti1, Pálmi Erlendsson1, Bergur H. Bergsson1, Manuel Titos2, Melissa A. Pfeffer1, Gro B. M. Pedersen1

  • Affiliations: 1Icelandic Meteorological Office, Reykjavik, Iceland; 2University of Granada, Department of Signal Processing, Telematic and Communication

  • Presentation type: Talk

  • Presentation time: Thursday 09:30 - 09:45, Room R380

  • Programme No: 3.1.15

  • Theme 3 > Session 1

Abstract

We present VolcanoInSight, a webcam based system developed by the Icelandic Meteorological Office to monitor active volcanoes. A network of webcams is maintained around the country to measure the heights of ash clouds, gas plumes and fire fountains, as well as locate new vent openings and digitize lava flow fronts. For this purpose the cameras need to be calibrated, either in the laboratory using calibration targets or vicariously using stars and features in the landscape. The orientation of each camera is then found by matching the stars or the horizon in the image with those from astronomical almanacs or digital elevation models, respectively. This matching is performed either manually or automatically using a horizon scanning algorithm, which also retrieves the focal length in the case of Pan Tilt Zoom cameras. If the location of the camera is not accurately known it is refined using a Bayesian Optimisation process. Once calibrated and oriented, measurements are made by either triangulation, DEM intersection, or by placing geometric constraints using known vent locations and wind directions. Measurements are made using a website that saves results to a centrally accessible web mapping server so observations from a team can be synthesised by a single user in a GIS for e.g. real time lava flow monitoring during a crisis. VolcanoInsSight works with stills, and a video enabled version is under development for calculation of rate-based quantities (e.g. plume rise speeds, fluxes) and  useful visualisations. Examples will be presented from recent activity on Reykjanes.