An Adaptive Volcanic Eruption Detector to Automate Pyroclastic Flow Monitoring

A power-efficient, adaptive and IoT-based volcanic eruption detector is realised to provide a robust trigger mechanism for a custom-built radar for pyroclastic flow monitoring. The design, simulation and testing of the detector, and its performance measured at Volcano Santiaguito in Guatemala over a three-month deployment are described in detail. The proposed detector controls the radar system and enables a fully automated remote sensing operation with a power consumption of 0.5 W. Typically, around 70% detection accuracy is obtained with almost no false detections and up to 80% less power consumption compared to continual capturing.