A fascinating video has revealed how Icelandic police employ drones to monitor volcanic activity while serendipitously capturing stunning images.
The video from DJI Enterprise follows Arnar Egilsson, the Chief Inspector National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, who manages the drone program operated by the civil defense.
Spectacular footage of the very first moments of an eruption filmed in 4K is shown and while it is a wonder to behold, Egilsson explains that the footage is vital for the safety of citizens.
“We are live streaming the video feed from the drones to our incident command; to scientists; to the Met Office; and to engineers,” says Egilsson.
This information is vital to volcanic experts who can see where the crevasse is leading in real-time.
“The drone data we collected can show the direction, volume, and speed of the lava which helps the other departments make better decisions such as turning off power lines or building more defense walls,” adds Egilsson.
The team has access to a DJI Matrice 300 RTK and the DJI Matrice 30T. A thermal camera enables the experts to see which lava is old and which lava is new.
Drones have been used during volcano eruptions in Iceland on the Reykjanes Peninsula since 2021 for monitoring, search and rescue, scientific research, and mission mapping.
The volcano eruptions that started in November 2023 were notable because of the direct impact on people and infrastructure. Previously, volcanic eruptions would happen in more rural areas.
After the first eruption happened in November 2023, first responders decided to install a DJI Dock in the town of Grindavik to assess and monitor the situation from a safe distance.
The DJI Dock is a “drone in a box” solution that can be operated remotely — both manually and via pre-programmed flight routes.
The “box” is a durable, waterproof docking station that holds and charges the drone until it’s ready to be deployed. The drone, a Matrice 30, integrates multiple high-performance sensors into one single camera payload including a Zoom camera and a thermal camera.
“When we are putting drone teams into the area there are risks of volcanic eruptions, there is a risk from gases or Earth movements,” adds Egilsson.
“Since we’ve installed the DJI dock, we can monitor the area from a safe distance.”