A Scottish physicist, who is developing a new way to collect "early warning" gases from volcanoes that could save the lives of millions of people, has won a prestigious award.

Dr Andrew McGonigle was named yesterday as a Laureate of the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which for more than 30 years have supported pioneering work in science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural heritage.

With his £67,000 award, Mr McGonigle, 35, will push ahead with a new means of safely and reliably predicting volcanic eruptions weeks, even months, in advance.

The funds will finance Aerovolc II, an unmanned, small-scale helicopter, designed specifically to measure the volcanic gases CO2 and SO2 in Etna and Stromboli in Italy.

The aircraft operates at a drastically reduced cost compared with previous efforts to predict eruptions, while eliminating the often deadly task of physically measuring volcanic gases.

Mr McGonigle, from Edinburgh, is senior research fellow at the Sheffield University's Department of Geography and associate scientist at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Palermo, Italy.

Rolex fund projects that demonstrate a spirit of enterprise and address pressing needs around the world.

An award of £67,000 will be presented to each of five laureates honoured tonight in a ceremony in Dubai.