Image - NASA
When we think of NASA, spaceships, astronauts, the Hubble satellite that sends spectacular images of the universe, planets and stars to explore, usually come to mind,… in short, people and objects that are outside the Earth. However, he is also dedicated to studying various areas of this globe that we call home.
In late January, scientists from NASA, the USGS Hawaiian Volcan Observatory (HVO), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and several universities launched a six-week campaign to study the links between volcanic gases and thermal emissions, as well as lava flow, thermal anomalies and other active volcanic processes to learn how to reduce the dangers of volcanoes when they erupt.
One of the volcanoes they will study is Kilauea, one of the most active on Earth. The scientists will fly at a height of 19.800 meters in an ER-2 aircraft, inside which are a series of instruments designed to measure reflected sunlight and thermal radiation emitted in hundreds of different channels.
All These data will help researchers to learn more about the composition of the earth's surface, types of gases and temperature., which in turn will serve to understand the environment in which we live.
Why is it important to study volcanoes?
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
When a volcano erupts, it expels lava, volcanic ash and gases that come from the interior of planet earth. These substances are very dangerous for humans, as they can cause respiratory problems or even death.
For this reason, studying volcanoes is of the utmost importance, as this will allow more effective measures to be taken to protect people who live near any of them.
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