Predicting where the June 27 lava flow will go next is a fluid business. In addition to the original topography of the landscape impacted by lava flows, workers with Hawaii County Civil Defense must take into account the changes made to the topography by the hardened lava left on the surface and how that will affect future flows. That means topographical maps used to predict the flows’ movement must change day to day, and even hour to hour in some cases when the lava is moving quickly. That’s where a team of University of Hawaii at Hilo researchers is proving it has the right stuff. Since early September, UH-Hilo’s Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Laboratory has worked in partnership with Civil Defense and the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, outfitted with a high-resolution camera to map the flow. “We first heard about the lava flow heading toward Pahoa Town and we immediately started getting (Federal Aviation Administration) permission,” said Nicolas Turner, SDAV’s cyber computer programming analyst. “That was one of the biggest hurdles.” Subscribers follow the link for the full story.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 02:00:14 +0000
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