Cosmic ray muon radiography is a technique capable of imaging variations of density inside a hundreds of meters of rock. With resolutions up to tens of meters in optimal detection conditions, muon radiography can give us images of the top region of a volcano edifice with a resolution that is significantly better than the one typically achieved with conventional gravity methods and in this way can give us information on anomalies in the density distribution, such as expected from dense lava conduits, low density magma supply paths or the compression with depth of the overlying soil.
The MU-RAY project is aimed toward the study of the internal structure of Stromboli and Vesuvius volcanoes using this technique.
“Muon radiography is based on the observation of the absorption of muons in matter,
as the ordinary radiography does by using X-rays. The interaction of cosmic rays with
the atmosphere provides an abundant source of muons, which can be used for various
applications of muon radiography and in particular to study the internal structure of
the edifice of volcanoes.”
Read the complete proposal
Read a brief introduction (in italiano)
Last modified: 28/10/2010 by GP
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