Predicting the next volcanic eruption, plus other stories

Predicting the next volcanic eruption. Volcanic eruptions can be tricky to predict. Magma stored below volcanoes contains dissolved gases, including carbon dioxide, which escape to the surface and can be sampled at different times (before, after or during) an eruption to provide clues about the next one. But climbing into a pulsing, breathing volcano to monitor the carbon dioxide content can be dangerous. The McGill Volcanology Research Group has teamed up with researchers in Costa Rica to become one of the first in the world to successfully use drones to collect volcanic carbon dioxide. The team flew two drones into the crater of Poás, an active volcano in Costa Rica. They measured the carbon dioxide content of gas samples they collected to monitor the level of volcanic activity.