The eruption of Agung on November 27, 2017. Michael W. Ishak / Wikimedia Commons. Monitoring volcanoes is really hard. Not only are you trying to deduce what a volcano is going to do using context clues like earthquakes, gas emissions and deformation, but once an eruption starts, trying to get a peak at what is coming out at the vent is downright dangerous. New technology like drones and satellites have allowed us to more clearly see what is happening where we couldn't before, and these new data can help volcanologists better understand what a volcano might be doing next. First, we'll start with the volcano where we can actually see what is coming out the top (beyond ash and volcanic gases). Check out this shot of the lava dome growing in the crater at Agung in Indonesia, taken by a drone flown over the restless volcano:
Kondisi kawah Gunung Agung terkini dari hasil foto drone pada 14/12/2017 pukul 16:00 WITA. Material lava hasil erupsi mengisi lantai kawah. Laju magma yang keluar melambat sejak 30/11/2017 sampai sekarang. Baru sepertiga mangkok kawah yang terisi lava. Status Awas. #agungvolcanopic.twitter.com/nJ3NmQmbbF
