Alarm call

The world’s first remote monitoring system giving early warning of volcanic
eruptions will start up in June in Italy. Gas sensors that can withstand the
hot, acid environments of volcanic vents will continuously measure emissions of
radon, hydrogen sulphide, methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which
often change before an eruption. At present, volcanologists must be on site to
measure the gases. The sensors, developed in France, Italy and Iceland, will be
tested first on Etna in Sicily and Sofatara near Naples.