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<p>Uncrewed aerial vehicles (drones) are capable of performing a variety of volcanic measurements quickly and safely. However, most battery-powered drones are limited to flight ranges of only a few kilometers, requiring personnel to be present on-site for each survey. As a result, travel time and personnel availability often limit the frequency of observations and the ability to respond immediately to changes in volcanic activity. To enable near-daily flights at a restless volcano, a semi-autonomous drone docking station (droneport) was installed at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano and operated remotely via the internet from September 2025 to March 2026 (184&#xa0;days), including during winter. Except for a period of 72&#xa0;days when takeoff was not possible due to the snow intrusion into the enclosure and the freezing of the anemometer, the system enabled the drone to operate fully without on-site personnel. Our near-daily flights quantitatively documented changes in the area and brightness of dark gray discoloration of the crater lake. Comparison with lake water chemistry and geodetic observations suggests that variations in the discoloration reflect changes in magmatic fluid supply. By sharing real-time aerial video with stakeholders such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, we demonstrate that repeated flights using a droneport can help assess the volcanic alert level. The droneport enables rapid drone launch without exposing operators to risk, even when access to the crater area is restricted by regulations or snow. Droneports provide a useful platform for near-daily observations and for capturing unexpected events, including changes in surface activity.</p>

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Remote surveillance of volcanic unrest at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano, Japan, using a semi-autonomous drone docking station

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月21日

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  • Akihiko Terada,
  • Muga Yaguchi,
  • Takeshi Ohba

摘要

Uncrewed aerial vehicles (drones) are capable of performing a variety of volcanic measurements quickly and safely. However, most battery-powered drones are limited to flight ranges of only a few kilometers, requiring personnel to be present on-site for each survey. As a result, travel time and personnel availability often limit the frequency of observations and the ability to respond immediately to changes in volcanic activity. To enable near-daily flights at a restless volcano, a semi-autonomous drone docking station (droneport) was installed at Kusatsu-Shirane volcano and operated remotely via the internet from September 2025 to March 2026 (184 days), including during winter. Except for a period of 72 days when takeoff was not possible due to the snow intrusion into the enclosure and the freezing of the anemometer, the system enabled the drone to operate fully without on-site personnel. Our near-daily flights quantitatively documented changes in the area and brightness of dark gray discoloration of the crater lake. Comparison with lake water chemistry and geodetic observations suggests that variations in the discoloration reflect changes in magmatic fluid supply. By sharing real-time aerial video with stakeholders such as the Japan Meteorological Agency, we demonstrate that repeated flights using a droneport can help assess the volcanic alert level. The droneport enables rapid drone launch without exposing operators to risk, even when access to the crater area is restricted by regulations or snow. Droneports provide a useful platform for near-daily observations and for capturing unexpected events, including changes in surface activity.