The eruption of the Bardarbunga volcano has been recorded like never before, using a small drone, attached to a GoPro camera, one of which was destroyed in the process of creating an unprecedented film.
A GoPro Hero 3 camera did not survive the filming, although video from the device was recovered.
Eric Chang, aerial imaging director for DJI, the company that designed the drone, managed the flight into the heart of the volcanic eruption. Working with Cheng on the project was photographer Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson. The Icelandic photographer had the permits and contact necessary to allow the pair as close as possible to the center of the volcanic release.
They drove as close as they could get to the event, before being stopped by authorities. From there, the pair had to continue on foot toward the eruption. The drones have a safety feature which sets a maximum distance the vehicle can be from its operator during a flight.
The Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland has been erupting steadily since magma was first released from the geological feature in September.
Iceland is a highly volcanic region, where powerful eruptions are commonplace. This island nation is the only location on Earth where the mid-ocean ridge rises onto dry land. This fold in the crust on the Earth constantly spreads apart underwater, widening the Atlantic Ocean.
The Holuhraun lava field, where the eruption is centered, is located between the Bardarbunga and Askja volcanoes, north of the Vatnajokull ice sheet.
The pair only had a two-day window around September 20 to film the eruption. During this time, experts predicted skies would be clear and wind would be blowing poisonous gases away from the team. They also wanted to record the video at night, when the glow of the lava would be most dramatic as it poured from the volcano.
The failsafe system kicked in during one flight, when the team tried to get in close. That is when they pair walked toward the eruption.
After one pass close to the volcano, the plastic casing and a button on the GoPro camera melted from the intense heat. The memory card inside the camera remained in functional condition, allow images to be recovered from the flight.
The DJI Phantom 2 can be purchased new online, starting at around $600, while GoPro Hero 3 cameras sell for about $350.
Video showing the journey of the drone into the center of the eruption is available on the DJI YouTube channel.
