Summary
You will improve and test our prototype arduino based low-cost seismic logger which is designed for meduim-term deployments, with telemetry, in harsh environments such as debris flow sites.
For more information please see here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/geosciences/study/degrees/research-degrees/phd-projects/physical-sciences?item=1418
Project background
Seismology can be used to monitor the initiation and evolution of various geo hazards including earthquakes, landslides, debris flows, flooding, sediment transport and volcanic systems. This information can inform early warning systems and disaster response teams. However, a typical station including telemetry costs at least £8k per site. Further multiple sites are typically required. This makes one reluctant to site equipment in potentially harsh environments where it might be destroyed by the events we are interested in.
Consequently, we have been developing a low-cost seismic data logger using the arduino micro-controller and our custom designed Geoduino Seismic ADC shield. This allows us to deploy a geophone for upto 5 months with telemetry of the data over the mobile network in potentially harsh environments where the equipment is at risk of being destroyed, such as in sites with debris flows or on volcanos. This technological innovation makes it possible to operationalise the monitoring of natural hazards for early warning.
Whilst we have a prototype developed by an electrical engineer, the design needs further development, testing, the embedded software requires optimisation (written in C++) and the post-processing code needs development. In your first year, you will take a lead role in optimising this system.
In the remainder of your PhD, you will deploy this system to explore its utility for operational monitoring of various natural hazards in conjunction with potential end-users. These may include monitoring of debris flow and landslide hazards on critical infrastructure or deployment to monitor active seismicity at volcanoes.
I have been writing various blog articles about the development of the system that may be of interest (see below). These do not document the Geoduino Seismic system in detail - please get in touch if you would like to learn more about the system and what this PhD would entail.
Research questions
- How can we develop an operationally useful, low-cost, telemetered seismic system?
- What outputs are operationally useful to end users?
- Which natural hazards settings provide us the opportunity impactful deployment of the system?
Supervisors
Mark NaylorSchool of GeoSciences [Email Address Removed] blogs.ed.ac.uk/mnaylor/
Hugh SinclairSchool of GeoSciences [Email Address Removed]
Stella Pytharouli, Strathclyde University pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/persons/stella-pytharouli
Calum Cuthill, University of Glasgow
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