Advancements in volcanological Earth observation: Documenting the February 2025 eruption of Mount Etna

Earth Observation data has become an increasingly indispensable resource in the field of volcanology, providing unprecedented capabilities for the high-resolution assessment of the timing, magnitude, and explosivity of active eruptive events. This work leverages a multi-sensor suite of satellite-derived products to meticulously document the February 2025 eruption of Mount Etna, Italy. This specific event holds particular significance as it represents the first major eruption fully monitored with the operational third-generation Meteosat satellite (Meteosat Third Generation - Imager, MTG-I), which offers a revolutionary advancement in mid-infrared spatial and temporal resolution for thermal monitoring. 

Daily SkySat/PlanetScope imagery monitored effusive activity and lava flow dynamics, providing high-cadence data on flow evolution and areal expansion, yielding critical insights into flow propagation rates and the spatial distribution of the effusive material. Magma supply rates and thermal output were assessed by tracking eruption-related thermal anomalies using multi-sensor data (MODIS, SEVIRI, VIIRS, FCI aboard MTG-I), enabling the calculation of the volume of extruded magma per unit time. Eruptive plumes and volcanic gas monitoring, including TROPOMI SO₂ total mass estimates, analyzed the explosive component and atmospheric impact of the eruption. Finally, high-resolution Pléiades imagery acquired rapidly post-eruption allowed for generating an updated Digital Surface Model (DSM). DSM differencing with a pre-eruptive reference precisely estimated deposit thickness and total erupted volume.

This interdisciplinary work provides essential information for analyzing multi-temporal morphological changes and conducting comprehensive hazard assessment studies, thereby contributing significantly to efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of environmental hazards.

This research has been supported by the INGV project Pianeta Dinamico VT SAFARI — CUP D53J19000170001— funded by Italian Ministry MIUR (“Fondo Finalizzato al rilancio degli investimenti delle amministrazioni centrali dello Stato e allo sviluppo del Paese”, legge 145/2018) and by the Space It Up project — CUP I53D24000060005 — funded by the Italian Space Agency and the Ministry of University and Research, under contract n. 2024-5-E.0.