First Results of UAV Infrared Survey of Thermal Objects of the Kuril Islands in 2023

Remote surveillance techniques from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with thermal infrared cameras are a progressive platform for effective monitoring of hard-to-reach thermal objects. This paper presents the first results of UAV application to the research of five thermal objects on the Kuril Islands. Four of them (the Kipyashchaya River on Iturup Island, Lake Biryuzovoe on Simushir Island, Yankich Island, and the Yurieva River on Paramushir Island) are associated with active volcanoes. Heat maps with precise geographical reference have been obtained for all sections of gas hydrothermal discharge. Air thermometry for the Kipyashchaya River and Yankich Island were verified by ground data and real atmospheric attenuation coefficients were obtained for different flight altitudes under observed meteorological conditions. The first data on the parameters of the thermal plume from the hot Yurievа River flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk were obtained.