Investigators: Matthew Watson (Earth Sciences), Tom Richardson (Aerospace Engineering)

This project was funded by the Cabot Institute Innovation Fund to the value of £4600

Project descriptor:

We plan to build volcano monitoring capacity in Guatemala through co-developed research and training using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Volcanic hazards in Guatemala are particularly severe, and their study is hampered by lack of observations and access. The volcano monitoring agency (INSIVUMEH) manage with almost no instrumentation and what they do have has been almost exclusively donated by Bristol University. This is particularly worrying as millions of people live within twenty kilometres of the country’s three active volcanoes, more than half of whom live in profound poverty.

This project is constructed of two synergistic activities. Firstly, we will conduct co-developed research into two science challenges: (1) mapping topography, and changes in topography, for hazard assessment.  Earlier this month two of the team visited Guatemala, at the request of the Guatemala government and sponsored by Cabot, to map the erosional valleys down which hazardous flows propagate, in order to construct better hazard maps of Fuego volcano, (2) quantification of ash from explosive eruptions in order to improve hazard mitigation efforts for civil aviation. Again, this has been requested by national government agencies, in this case the civil aviation authority (DGAC).

Secondly, and concurrently, we will deliver a training workshop for safe flight and use of UAVs. This will empower local scientists to conduct their own research around hazard mapping and ash detection. Several of the team run a NERC-funded training workshop in the UK. The outcomes of this project will be world-leading research into volcanoes and local volcano monitoring capacity building.