ITR/AP(Geo): Collaborative Proposal for First Generation Model and Data Assimilation System to Reduce Volcanic Hazards

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0112694DixonThis grant, supported through funds from the NSF/Information Technology Research - Small Grants Program and the EAR/Instrumentation and Facilities Program, will enable the development of a first-generation data and model assimilation system for volcanic hazard assessment. Essentially, this system will use Bayesian forecasting techniques to construct hazard estimates that incorporate both prior geologic information and near-real-time data types. The primary goal is to demonstrate, through the application of information technology methodologies, that such disparate geologic data types can be combined smoothly, even during volcanic crises, to yield improved estimates of hazard and risk. The focus will be on hazards associated with the dispersion and accumulation of volcanic tephra (volcanic ash), both because of the importance of this volcanic hazard and our previous experience in forecasting tephra hazards. Models will be used to relate observed tephra-stratigraphies at several volcanoes (Colima, Cerro Negro, Montserrat, Popocateptal) to sets of input parameters, including eruption duration, initial gas content, and meteorological conditions. We plan to explore several techniques (inversion, simplified models, database development) to relate observed patterns of volcano deformation directly to the parameter estimates used in tephra fallout models. The system will be constructed using parallel algorithms to exploit inexpensive and widely available PC clusters. Through the auspices of an ITR grant, we plan to clearly demonstrate the huge advantages realized by, for the first time, systematically linking the geologic record, process models, and near-real time monitoring results. For tephra accumulation hazards specifically, this approach will further lead to a clear understanding of the links between deformation, magma processes, and the fundamental parameters governing tephra dispersion and accumulation. In this sense, the results of the systematic approach advocated here will provide guidance about the volcanological research most likely to results in volcanic hazard reduction. This research will be conducted as a collaborative proposal between the University of Miami, the University of South Florida, and Southwest Research Institute (nonprofit). In addition, international collaboration with the University of Bristol will bring expertise on tephra dispersion modeling and data on the important Montserrat eruptions to the project. Students will contribute to all phases of the project, including geological research, model development, and software development. After appropriate testing, we plan to make the results of this project widely available by open-sourcing the codes and providing assistance in implementation of PC clusters to the volcanological community. ***