WEBVTT

00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:21.820
i'm rick lahusen i am the project chief

00:00:19.929 --> 00:00:24.730
of the instrumentation development

00:00:21.820 --> 00:00:27.609
project at usgs cascades Volcano

00:00:24.730 --> 00:00:30.849
Observatory the work we do developing

00:00:27.609 --> 00:00:34.059
new systems feeds two basic functions

00:00:30.849 --> 00:00:36.489
one is information that we pass to the

00:00:34.059 --> 00:00:39.340
public emergency managers that can give

00:00:36.489 --> 00:00:41.170
them early warning on activity and so

00:00:39.340 --> 00:00:42.940
they can inform the public and make

00:00:41.170 --> 00:00:44.140
appropriate action to try to keep people

00:00:42.940 --> 00:00:46.059
out of harm's way

00:00:44.140 --> 00:00:47.800
the second important function for the

00:00:46.059 --> 00:00:50.170
information we bring back is to

00:00:47.800 --> 00:00:52.179
understand the volcanic processes so we

00:00:50.170 --> 00:00:54.670
feed the research scientists who can

00:00:52.179 --> 00:00:56.589
understand the volcanoes how they work

00:00:54.670 --> 00:00:58.719
and how they can build - and rest and

00:00:56.589 --> 00:01:01.629
eruption or sometimes just go back to

00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:03.969
sleep one of the biggest challenges we

00:01:01.629 --> 00:01:06.820
have is trying to get instruments that

00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:08.770
can monitor the volcano 24/7 that can

00:01:06.820 --> 00:01:10.509
survive the hostile conditions up on the

00:01:08.770 --> 00:01:13.180
mountains so for instance this winter

00:01:10.509 --> 00:01:15.520
there was 30 feet of snow in many places

00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:17.560
that crushing load of snow can block

00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:19.600
radio signals that can block Sun coming

00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:21.460
into solar panels so we have to make

00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:23.290
instruments that can survive and still

00:01:21.460 --> 00:01:26.020
get the data out so we can monitor those

00:01:23.290 --> 00:01:28.329
volcanoes 24/7 some of the past work at

00:01:26.020 --> 00:01:30.820
Mount st. Helens relied on people flying

00:01:28.329 --> 00:01:32.680
out during good weather Landing crews on

00:01:30.820 --> 00:01:35.619
the ground in harm's way and taking

00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:39.130
manual measurements of ground movement

00:01:35.619 --> 00:01:41.079
and gas sampling things like that with

00:01:39.130 --> 00:01:43.090
the new technology we can actually build

00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:45.759
a what we call a spider because it's got

00:01:43.090 --> 00:01:47.890
many legs on it but a remote instrument

00:01:45.759 --> 00:01:49.780
that we can set in place from a cable on

00:01:47.890 --> 00:01:51.219
a helicopter it's got an internal

00:01:49.780 --> 00:01:53.020
battery system it's got a very smart

00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:54.250
computer that's been programmed to

00:01:53.020 --> 00:01:57.520
collect the data from the sensors

00:01:54.250 --> 00:01:59.979
lightning microphones earthquake sensor

00:01:57.520 --> 00:02:01.390
and a GPS unit they can measure motion

00:01:59.979 --> 00:02:03.729
of the ground less than an inch

00:02:01.390 --> 00:02:06.670
accurately it'll send all that data back

00:02:03.729 --> 00:02:08.619
via a microwave system and we'll get

00:02:06.670 --> 00:02:10.119
back to the office within a split second

00:02:08.619 --> 00:02:13.440
where it can be automatically analyzed

00:02:10.119 --> 00:02:16.250
continuously when I first started here I

00:02:13.440 --> 00:02:19.830
deployed down to Colombia following the

00:02:16.250 --> 00:02:21.360
1985 eruption of Ruiz volcano during

00:02:19.830 --> 00:02:24.750
that eruption some mud flows were

00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:27.110
created that killed 23,000 people and my

00:02:24.750 --> 00:02:29.670
eyes opened wide to the need for

00:02:27.110 --> 00:02:32.240
real-time monitoring and efficient

00:02:29.670 --> 00:02:34.860
communication end to end not just

00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:37.530
understanding one piece of the puzzle

00:02:34.860 --> 00:02:40.380
but having a complete system from sensor

00:02:37.530 --> 00:02:43.380
through the communication to the public

00:02:40.380 --> 00:02:44.940
and everything my team does is always

00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:47.880
driven towards getting that technology

00:02:44.940 --> 00:02:51.600
out and employed in a practical basis to

00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:54.890
give emergency managers the capability

00:02:51.600 --> 00:02:57.780
to give the public real real warning and

00:02:54.890 --> 00:03:00.500
understanding of what needs to be done

00:02:57.780 --> 00:03:00.500
what can be done

00:03:12.330 --> 00:03:14.390
you