UAV monitors Pico do Fogo lava flow

A Portuguese unmanned air vehicle was deployed to Cape Verde to provide aerial surveillance of the Pico do Fogo volcanic eruption that took place in November.

During a week of day and night missions the Tekever AR4 Light Ray collected aerial images of damage caused by the volcano, as well as tracking the unseen lava flow heading towards populated areas.

High-definition and thermal images were captured by the UAV’s payload, which provided information to the Cape Verdean authorities that enabled them to identify lava flows underneath solidified magma. This led to the evacuation of villages in the area, including some 1,500 people from the villages of Bangaeira and Portela on Fogo island.

See the video