Shallow magma accumulation in the crust often results in slight movements of the ground surface that can be measured using standard land-surveying techniques or satellite geodesy. Volcano geodesy uses measurements of crustal deformation to investigate volcano unrest and to search for magma reservoirs beneath active volcanic areas.
On August 14, 2015 Cotopaxi Volcano (Ecuador) erupted with several phreatomagmatic explosions after
nearly 135 years of quiescence. Unrest began in April 2015 with an increase in the number of daily seismic
events and inflation of the flanks of the volcano. Time-lapse gravity measurements started at Cotopaxi
volcano in June 2015. Although minor gravity changes were detected prior to eruptive activity, the largest
gravity variations at Cotopaxi were measured between October 2015 and March 2016, when other geophysical
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