The dramatic moment a Guatemalan volcano blew its top has been captured by a drone in the midst of the eruption.
The spectacular footage was filmed earlier this year as the remote vehicle harvested fresh data about the Volcan de Fuego.
The volcano erupts every month and threatens the lives of the 60,000 people who live within its reach.
But it’s previously been too dangerous for researchers to capture robust measurements of its gases.
Now, drones are going where people can’t, recording the clouds’ temperature, humidity and thermal dynamics.
Dr Emma Liu, a volcanologist at Cambridge working on the research, said the quadcopters could serve another purpose too:
“These sensors not only help to understand emissions from volcanoes, they could also be used in the future to help alert local communities of impending eruptions – particularly if the flights can be automated.”