Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have created the world’s first 3D thermal image of an active volcano.

The spectacular image of Stromboli in Italy was made using high-precision cameras mounted to an aerial drone.

The image was created by a team of geoscientists from the Universities of Aberdeen and Oslo who are using drone technology to develop a technique that can detect subtle changes in the behaviour of the volcano, providing more accurate information on the likelihood of an eruption.

The first stage of the project was to develop a system for building 3D thermal models from an active volcano using drones.

This system was tested on the island of Stromboli in the Mediterranean. They have made a short video documenting there work and the results, with some spectacular drone footage of erupting volcanos and a 3D thermal model.