We are all familiar with the term global warming and often see statistics about the potential effects this could have on our planet. One such prediction is by the end of this century the globe will increase in temperature by between 0.8 and 4 degrees.
What many of us may not know is that volcanoes, which are a completely natural phenomenon, contribute a significant amount of gases into our atmosphere. And these gases are currently not considered in the world’s climate models, which means there is potentially a large margin of error.
However, this could be about to change as Yves Moussallam, an inspiring French Volcanologist, who with the support of Rolex and the 2019 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, has made it his mission to understand volcanos and how they impact on our planet. He ventures into these dramatic and dangerous environments to take measurements which are used by scientists and climatologists to improve their prediction models.
By observing volcanos, and gathering this vitally important data, he is helping the world understand the impact volcanos are having on climate change.
Yves is no stranger to volcanic expeditions. In 2015, he led a small team to the Nazca subduction zone in South America. Their mission was to provide the first accurate and large-scale estimate of the flux of several volatile gas species.
To keep the team safe, Yves selected Crowcon detection equipment and was delighted with Gas man and Gas-Pro’s lightweight, clean and safe functionality.
Now Yves is back with a new expedition and has turned to Crowcon once again. This time, Yves is heading to the region of Melanesia in Italy. Satellites, which are used to track volcanic behaviour, have shown that this region is responsible for approximately a third of global volcanic gas emissions.
His expedition will climb these volcanoes and take measurements directly in the volcanic plume.
There are two main methods to measure gases in volcanoes. The first is via satellite which takes images from space. The second is to go directly into the field and measure gas released at its source.
Experts believe the method of working directly in the field is the most accurate as it is positioned far closer to the source so there is a reduced risk of error.
To conduct these measurements requires tried, tested and trusted equipment and with Crowcon’s proven track record, Yves turned again to Gas-Pro.
Crowcon’s Gas-Pro includes an onboard datalogging feature which will provide an extra line of data and an idea of average exposure, which is important for expeditions that span longer periods. It is also lightweight which is hugely beneficial when carrying bulky equipment.
Everyone at Crowcon wishes Yves a safe and successful expedition and we hope the data he gathers will help us understand the impact volcanos have on our world.
Working in the office makes it easy to focus on the individual tasks and get detached from how our products are making a difference to people’s lives. One of our customers was kind enough to facilitate an onsite visit so that Andrea (our Halma Future Leader on a marketing placement) could see first-hand how our products are used and who the end users are. This meant a visit to an oil refinery to see where our Crowcon portable gas detectors are used.
