[post from Fabricio Carbajal – SEGEMAR]
Over the past year, the Argentine Geological and Mining Survey (SEGEMAR), through its Argentine Observatory of Volcanic Surveillance (OAVV), incorporated DOAS technology into its volcanic monitoring networks. The volcanoes selected for this first phase are Copahue volcano and the Planchón-Peteroa Volcanic Complex (PPVC), ranked first and second, respectively, in the Argentine volcanic risk ranking. Both volcanoes have a history of recent eruptions with direct impact on nearby communities: Copahue’s most notable recent eruptions occurred in 2012, 2015, and 2018, while the PPVC experienced eruptions of varying magnitude in 2011, 2018, and 2025.
A Scanning DOAS instrument was installed at Copahue in February 2025, and three Scanning DOAS instruments were installed at the PPVC in February 2026. Looking ahead, OAVV plans to expand instrumental coverage at Copahue and to add other volcanoes to the NOVAC network. These new stations will strengthen geochemical monitoring carried out by OAVV, complementing other techniques used at the observatory such as seismology and geodesy to assess volcanic activity in Argentina.
