Adventurer Nik Halik is a self-styled thrill-seeker who has documented his adventures around the world on a blog and through media. He has generated news coverage on several continents. Among the Greek-Australian's completed several quests are cosmonaut training in Russia and deep diving to the Titanic's wreckage in the North Atlantic.
How hot is lava?
During excursions in 2015 and 2016 to the Republic of Vanuatu, Halik brought along Fluke Ti450 and TiX560 Infrared Cameras to measure temperatures of the Marum Volcano's roiling lava—from inside the caldera. With these thermal imaging cameras, he captured temperatures greater than 1,700° Fahrenheit (926.6° Celsius).
As seen in Halik's most recent video, the explosive sloshes of vermilion lava are stunning when observed through the TiX560's live display. (Note: Fluke discourages operators to use thermal imagers under dangerous conditions).
"He's not the first one to monitor geological resources, but this is certainly a very interesting research area," said Michael Stuart, Senior Manager of Thermography Services at Fluke Corporation. "There is interest in volcanic activity and I suspect there will be a lot more in the future. Especially with a renewed focus on trying to predict volcanic activity, and predict earthquake activity."