NASA reveals that trees near volcanoes send warning signals before eruptions

Imagine if one of the most reliable early warning systems for volcanic eruptions wasn’t a high-tech sensor or a complex machine but the gentle green leaves of trees surrounding the volcano. It turns out, the lushness and color of vegetation near volcanic sites could actually signal that an eruption is brewing.

Thanks to a groundbreaking study involving NASA, this natural warning system is coming into focus, offering hope for earlier alerts to protect lives and communities.

How vegetation reacts to volcanic carbon dioxide emissions

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At the heart of this discovery is photosynthesis, the natural process by which plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy. When plants get enough water and carbon dioxide, they grow more vigorously, turning greener and denser. Scientists have long understood this, but now, they see how this natural process plays a role in detecting volcanic activity.

When magma rises beneath a volcano, it releases a surge of gases, including carbon dioxide, that often reach the surface months before an eruption actually happens. While sulfur dioxide is easier to spot from space, carbon dioxide escapes earlier but is trickier to detect. This is where the plants come in. They soak up the extra carbon dioxide, responding with a surge in greenness and leaf cover that satellites can pick up.

One key tool in this discovery is the satellite Landsat 8. Orbiting about 438 miles above Earth, it captures detailed images of changes in vegetation color and spread. Over time, scientists noticed that areas around active volcanoes showed brighter, denser greenery before eruptions as plants absorbed volcanic CO2. This makes vegetation a natural and visible early indicator that something is changing beneath the surface.

Why early volcanic warnings matter for millions living nearby

About 10% of the world’s population—nearly 800 million people—live near potentially active volcanoes. The risks of eruptions are sobering: explosive blasts, flying debris, toxic gases, landslides, and even tsunamis. Despite advances in science, predicting exactly when a volcano will erupt remains a challenge.

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Currently, seismographs and ground deformation sensors provide some clues, but they don’t always give enough lead time. The prospect of reading nature’s own signals—the changes in tree health and color caused by volcanic carbon dioxide—adds an important tool in the volcano monitoring toolkit.

Monitoring the chemistry of volcanic gases directly is tough, especially since many volcanoes lie in remote, hard-to-reach areas. Satellites watching changes in vegetation color offer a way to keep an eye on these spots from space. This approach could buy precious time for governments and emergency services to prepare and potentially evacuate vulnerable populations earlier.

Scientific collaboration confirms vegetation as a reliable volcanic sensor

This innovative research is a team effort crossing disciplines and institutions. Nicole Guinn, a volcanologist from the University of Houston, used satellite images from Landsat 8 and others like Terra and Sentinel-2 to study how tree leaves near Mount Etna off Sicily changed before eruptions.

What the team found was striking: as volcanic carbon dioxide emissions increased, the trees visibly responded with a deepening green and thicker leaf cover.

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To verify the satellite data, scientists are also studying leaves on site. Josh Fisher, a climate researcher from Chapman University in California, examines these leaves to confirm how much carbon dioxide the plants are absorbing and how they react physically. His work deepens our understanding of not only volcanic warning signs but also how trees might behave as global CO2 levels rise in the future.

Reflecting on this, I think about a time hiking near volcanoes where the lush green forests seemed unusually vibrant. Now, it makes me wonder if that greenery was quietly signaling something beneath the earth’s crust. It’s fascinating to realize how much we can learn by watching nature’s own rhythms, and how those lessons might one day save lives.

What do you think? Could nature-based signals become the future of disaster warning systems? Have you ever noticed unusual plant growth in areas prone to natural events? Share your stories and thoughts below, and don’t forget to spread the word about this amazing connection between trees and volcanoes!

Article reference:
Nicole K. Guinn, Craig Glennie, Marco Liuzzo, Giovanni Giuffrida, Sergio Gurrieri, Monitoring volcanic CO₂ flux by the remote sensing of vegetation on Mt. Etna, Italy, Remote Sensing of Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114408.