Development of a Geo-Hazard Warning Communication System

An automated geo-hazard warning system is the need of the hour. It is integration of automation in hazard evaluation and warning communication. The primary objective of the research is to explain a geo-hazard warning system based on internet-resident concept and available cellular mobile infrastructure which makes use of geo-spatial data. The functionality of the system is modular in architecture having input, understanding, expert, output and warning modules. Thus, the system provides flexibility in integration between different types of hazard evaluation and communication systems leading to a generalized hazard warning system. The developed system has been validated for landslide hazard in Indian conditions. It has been realized through utilization of landslide causative factors, rainfall forecast from NASA's TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission), knowledge base of landslide hazard intensity map and invokes the warning as warranted. The system evaluated hazard commensurate with expert evaluation within 5-6% variability and the warning message permeability has been found to be virtually instantaneous, with a maximum time lag recorded as 50 seconds, minimum of 10 seconds.