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Monitoring of volcanic emissions

El Salvador's volcanic activity requires continuous CO₂ monitoring to assess eruption risks. The Ministry of Environment currently uses LI-830 sensors, which, despite their reliability, lack wireless connectivity, real-time data access, and storage capabilities. These limitations make it difficult to efficiently track CO₂ emissions from volcanic soils.

To modernize this process, we developed an IoT-based system that upgrades existing LI-830 sensors by integrating an ESP32 microcontroller and a SIM800L transceiver. This innovation enables real-time CO₂ data collection and wireless transmission. A cloud-based web platform, built using Python and Google Cloud tools, provides remote access to measurements, allowing volcanologists to monitor and analyze CO₂ levels effectively.

A pilot test at Cerro Pacho demonstrated the system’s effectiveness in improving CO₂ surveillance. By upgrading existing equipment rather than replacing it, this solution offers a cost-efficient way to enhance volcanic monitoring in El Salvador and similar high-risk regions worldwide.

volcano.jpg Art by Pixabay. Photo from Pixaline.

Publications

D. A. Solis Marroquín, J. O. Comayagua Martínez, O.O. Flores-Cortez, C. Pocasangre, F. Arévalo, and B. H. Miranda. (2025). "Estación móvil para la detección de dióxido de carbono en suelo volcánico" Entorno, 1(79), 44–59. doi: 10.5377/entorno.v1i78.19715.

O. O. Flores-Cortez, F. Arévalo, C. P. Jimenez, and B. Rivera, “Design and Implementation of a Georeferenced Multi-Sensor System for Monitoring Volcanic Gases”, 23rd LACCEI International Multi-Conference for Engineering, Education, and Technology, México City, México, 2025, ISBN: 978-628-96613-1-6, doi: 10.18687/LACCEI2025.1.1.657.

O. O. Flores-Cortez, C. O. Pocasangre, F. Arévalo, D. A. Solis, J. O. Comayagua, and B. H. Miranda, "IoT for CO2 Surveillance in Volcanic Soil Using a Web-Based Monitoring and the LI-830 sensor. Study case in Cerro Pacho, El Salvador," 2024 International Symposium on Networks, Computers and Communications (ISNCC), Washington DC, DC, USA, 2024, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/ISNCC62547.2024.10759000.

C. O. Pocasangre, O. O. Flores-Cortez, F. Arévalo, C. Arriaza, O. Aguilar and B. H. Miranda, "An IoT Mobile System for CO2 Monitoring in Volcanic Soil using the LI-830 Sensor and an Android App," 2023 International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control (ICNSC), Marseille, France, 2023, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/ICNSC58704.2023.10318977.