Jerk predicts Piton de la Fournaise eruptions with 92% accuracy
Technology
There is a new technology called Jerk that is changing how we spot volcanic eruptions before they happen.
Using special sensors, Jerk has been quietly working at Piton de la Fournaise in France since 2014, and it has nailed 92% of eruption predictions, sometimes giving a heads-up just minutes before, other times up to eight hours in advance.
Jerk set for Mount Etna tests
Jerk was built by geophysicists Francois Beauducel and Philippe Jousset, and now it is set to be tested at Mount Etna to see if it works elsewhere.
The team is working on making it even smarter by cutting down on false alarms from things like maintenance noise.
If all goes well, this system could help keep people safer around volcanoes worldwide.