General Objective: Investigate and implement an early warning system for lahars in the Cotopaxi Volcano, based on disruptive technologies for the detection, monitoring and communication of lahars whose main purpose is to protect lives, livelihoods, mitigate economic damages and strengthen resilience before these events.
Specific objectives:
- Create a database with potential sites based on the eruptive history of the Cotopaxi volcano, in order to know the historical risk areas and be able to determine the current optimal locations for the installation of the lahar early warning system, mainly to protect life.
- Investigate and evaluate the most appropriate sensors to apply in a lahar detection system, based on sensors used in meteorology and seismic sensors, as precursor elements.
- Develop an embedded IoT system based on cutting-edge technology for the acquisition, digitization, filtering and sending of data. and implement the algorithms to perform the various tasks for system control.
- Implement low-power and long-range communication networks, such as LoRa technologies, to optimize data transmission between lahar detection stations with the control station of the EPN Geophysical Institute.
- Analyze and implement a Cloud Computing-based scheme taking advantage of the flexibility and scalability of cloud services to handle large volumes of lahar monitoring data, improve processing and analysis capacity, and ensure system availability and reliability at all times. . In addition, it includes the deployment of a software architecture for the visualization of data and alarms.
- Develop a machine learning model based on artificial intelligence for the early detection of lahar events on the Cotopaxi volcano, using data collected by monitoring stations.
- Establish alert thresholds based on model predictions and design a mechanism to generate early warnings in case the possibility of a lahar event is detected.
- Organize and train local communities, authorities and emergency response teams to interpret and respond to lahar early warnings effectively and safely.
- Implement a maintenance and periodic update plan for the early warning system equipment, with the purpose of evaluating and identifying areas for improvement based on scientific and technological advances.
Participating Institutions:
EPN, ESPOCH, USFQ.
Participants:
Project Director Leonel Enríquez López
- Luis Miguel Procel Moya
- Santiago Daniel Andrade Varela
- Diana Carolina Coello Fiallos
- Miguel Ángel Sáez Paguay
- Eduardo Francisco García Cabezas
- Byron Dario Tarabata Tupiza
- Roberto Carlos Toapanta Guamán
- María Cristina Ramos López
- Carlos Ángel Macías Bautista
Awarded budget: $34288,00
Project status: In process
