Exploring lava tubes: A step toward earth and space science

During the end of April, the robotics and AI team at Luleå University of Technology along with Ed Llewellin, Professor of Volcanology at Durham University in the UK, will use autonomous flying drones to study the lava tubes of Raufarhólshellir at Iceland.

“This is a groundbreaking mission, this has never been done and will be monumental for both space exploration research and Earth exploration”, George Nikolakopoulos, Head of Subject, says.

Lava tubes are ‘pipes’ within lava flows formed by the eruption of volcanoes. Some tubes are accessible by the public and even run as a tourist attraction. However, not all tubes are safe to enter as the tube roof is prone to collapse and the tube floors are often covered with loose piles of sharp rocks. These are the tubes which the robotics and AI team are interested in.

The aim is to create a 3D map of these lava tubes from the inside. However, due to how dangerous it is to enter the tubes the only solution is to use autonomous robots. The robots will enter the tubes and collect data and create a 3D map, this will yield rich results but most importantly no one’s life will be at risk.

Why lava tubes matter

Lava tubes hold immense potential for advancing space exploration. In humanity’s quest to colonize other planets, lava tubes have the potential to be ideal habitats, protecting extra-terrestrial colonists from harmful solar radiation.

“This is why this mission is so important. Lava tubes are great analogues of tunnels which are explored in other planets”, George Nikolakopoulos says.

But these lava tubes hold so much more information that is helpful to us here on Earth. These underground tunnels, formed by the flowing lava, offer a window into the processes that control how far and how fast hazardous lava flows can travel. Thus, on Earth these tunnels present unique scientific opportunities. They allow the team of researchers to study volcanic activity, helping them towards the ultimate goal of predicting the path of future lava flows. Such investigations will help protect communities that live near active volcanoes.

Volcanology

The link between the research groups was made when Ed Llewellin discovered a video which was made by Akash Patel, PhD student at Luleå University of Technology, and they came up with the idea of using robotics to explore the lava tubes.

“You really do not want to spend too much time in a hazardous environment like that with falling rocks and collapsing floors. As soon as I saw what the robots could do, I knew that this was a potentially transformative technology for volcanology research”, Ed Llewellin says.

Exploring the lava tubes is a dangerous endeavour but volcanic eruptions could result in truly devastating outcomes. Ed Llewellin is particularly interested in the flows of magma and lava, specifically how lava flows above the Earth’s surface.

“Lava does not flow like water, lava is fluid, but it has a mind of its own. The big difference is as lava is cooling as it flows, so it develops its own barriers that influence its path. This makes it a challenge to predict”, Ed Llewellin says.

Particularly important is to understand how lava flows over new ground, some parts will flow faster than others. Whilst it is flowing a carapace is formed over the top which makes us unable to see what is going on. It is like the lava is building its own plumbing system. Ed Llewellin is trying to understand what controls the rate and location of the main lava flow pathways within lava flows to predict future flows which can ultimately save lives and resources.