Advances in volcano monitoring driven by the first decade of Sentinel-1 observations

Juliet Biggs; Nantheera Anantrasirichai; Kyle R. Anderson; Valerie Cayol; Edna W. Dualeh; Quentin Dumont; Susanna K. Ebmeier; Jean Luc Froger; Matthew Gaddes; Federico Galleto; Pablo J. Gonzales; Ian Hamling; Andrew Hooper; Milan Lazecky; Camila Novoa Lizama; Matthew E. Pritchard

doi:10.1016/j.rse.2026.115377

Advances in volcano monitoring driven by the first decade of Sentinel-1 observations

Remote Sensing of Environment

By: Juliet Biggs, Nantheera Anantrasirichai, Kyle R. Anderson, Valerie Cayol, Edna W. Dualeh, Quentin Dumont, Susanna K. Ebmeier, Jean Luc Froger, Matthew Gaddes, Federico Galleto, Pablo J. Gonzales, Ian Hamling, Andrew Hooper, Milan Lazecky, Camila Novoa Lizama, and Matthew E. Pritchard

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115377

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Abstract

Sentinel-1 has transformed how satellite radar data (SAR and InSAR) are used in volcanology. The systematic, long-term archive and open-access policy means that volcano observatories and research organisations have invested in integrating Sentinel-1 datasets into their monitoring systems. We identify 233 high priority volcanoes and estimate that Sentinel-1 data has been used in peer-reviewed publications for 90 of them. We examine a global archive of 3.3 million automatically processed Sentinel-1 interferograms of volcanoes and use machine learning methods to identify eruptions and periods of unrest. We then review the ways in which InSAR data are being used in different contexts. At frequently erupting basaltic systems in Iceland, Hawaiʻi, the Galápagos , and Piton de la Fournaise, InSAR has become an effective monitoring tool and is integrated with other datasets and models to forecast magma pathways. For large explosive eruptions, deformation measurements often remain challenging, but SAR backscatter is increasingly used to map damaging flows and measure the changing shape of ocean islands. Sentinel-1's long archive provides critical baseline measurements that are vital for measuring slow deformation, capturing new periods of unrest and providing fresh insights into subsurface dynamics. Understanding the drivers of deformation remains challenging and typically relies on integration with external datasets. Future European Space Agency missions have the potential to improve both resolution and coverage providing an even richer dataset to further enhance global volcano monitoring

Suggested Citation

Biggs, J., Anantrasirichai, N., Anderson, K.R., Cayol, V., Dualeh, E.W., Dumont, Q., Ebmeier, S.K., Froger, J.L., Gaddes, M., Galleto, F., Gonzales, P.J., Hamling, I., Hooper, A., Lazecky, M., Lizama, C.N., and Pritchard, M.E., 2026, Advances in volcano monitoring driven by the first decade of Sentinel-1 observations: Remote Sensing of Environment, v. 339, 115377, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115377.

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Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Advances in volcano monitoring driven by the first decade of Sentinel-1 observations
Series title	Remote Sensing of Environment
DOI	10.1016/j.rse.2026.115377
Volume	339
Year Published	2026
Language	English
Publisher	Elsevier
Contributing office(s)	Volcano Science Center
Description	115377, 23 p.
Country	Ethiopia
Other Geospatial	Erta Ale volcano