Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation and Resource Protection in Pacific Latin America

Overview: This is a 5-year, $2.3 million project supported by NSF, which focuses on developing remote sensing tools and validation methods for hazard mitigation and resource protection in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Ecuador. We are working towards two important goals:

(1) to develop formal linkages among MTU and geoscience agencies in Pacific Latin America, focusing on the collaborative development of remote sensing tools for hazard mitigation and water resource development;

(2) to build a new educational system of applied research and engineering, using two existing educational programs at MTU: the Peace Corp/Master’s International program in Natural Hazards which features a 2-year field assignment, and an undergraduate “Enterprise” program, which gives teams of civil, environmental, and geological engineering students the opportunity to work on real-world problems over multiple years in a business-like setting.

Peace Corps Master’s

International program in

Natural Hazards

Ph.D. and Master’s

programs in Geosciences

Remote Sensing Minor program

with the Remote Sensing Institute

Aqua Terra Tech

Enterprise

Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation

and Resource Protection in Pacific Latin

America

Project Personnel

Gregg Bluth: Project Director, hazard mitigation, remote sensingJohn Gierke: Hydrogeological engineering, water resources, geophysical studiesEssa Gross: Wastewater treatment, hydrogeological engineeringBill Rose: volcanology, remote sensing, hazard mitigation

For more project information, please see: http://www.geo.mtu.edu/rs4hazards/

Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation and Resource Protection in Pacific Latin America

Aqua Terra Tech: an MTU Enterprise program in

Boaco, Nicaragua

Program Contact:

John Gierkejsgierke@mtu.edu

MTU created the Enterprise Program to allow students a unique curriculum path for developing and practicing technical and business skills in a multidisciplinary setting where an emphasis is placed on projects and business.

The Boaco project focuses on water treatment, water supply engineering, watershed resource protection, and development of new sources of clean water. The project uses a combination of ground-based geophysical exploration, satellite-based GPS and land cover analysis, and field engineering.

For more information, please see: http://www.enterprise.mtu.edu/att/Home.html

Peace Corp’s Master’s International Program in Natural Hazards

Ellen EngbergEcuador

York LewisEl Salvador

Essa GrossNicaragua

John LyonsGuatemala

Armeda VanDam

El Salvador

Kristi WestonEcuador

This new Peace Corps program is the only one of it’s kind in the nation! It features a long-term field assignment in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, or Nicaragua as both a Peace Corps Volunteer and a Master’s candidate in Natural Hazard Mitigation. Students spend one year in residence at MTU, then two years in the field, returning to MTU to complete their Master’s. This program places highly trained students in key areas in these countries to become the “experts on the ground”, crucial components in developing practical remote sensing applications.

For more information, please see: http://www.geohazards.mtu.edu/

Program Contact:

Bill Roseraman@mtu.edu

A new degree program within the Department of Geological Engineering and Sciences

Jemile ErdemLewis & Clark College

Seismic hazards

Joanne ScottOld Dominion University

Volcanic hazards

Adam BlankenbickerUniversity of Rhode Island

Marine-related hazards

Karinne KnutsenUC Santa Barbara

Natural hazards

Ingrid FeddeColorado School of Mines

Volcanic hazards

Hans LechnerHumboldt State University

Landslide and slope hazards

Peace Corp’s MI in Natural Hazards,Class of 2005-2006

Remote Sensing Minor:

sponsored by MTU’sRemote Sensing Institute

The Remote Sensing Minor program builds upon basic theory, and applications, of remote sensing followed by opportunities to specialize in Data and Signal Processing, Data Management, Applications and Special Research Projects. A new aspect of the minor program involves more focused training, specifically in support of the natural science agencies and observatories of Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. This training culminates in field study in one of these countries, in order to help develop and apply practical applications of remote sensing.

For more information, please see: http://www.rsi.mtu.edu/

Program contact:

Gregg Bluthgbluth@mtu.edu

This project supports 3 Ph.D. and 5-10 Master’s positions each year for travel and study in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. These positions are within the main graduate degree programs of Geology, Geological Engineering, and Geophysics. Project specialty areas include: GIS, Remote Sensing, Applied Geophysics, Hydrogeological Engineering, Hazard Mitigation, Volcanology and Seismology.

For more information, please see: http://www.geo.mtu.edu

Graduate Programs in the Department of Geological Engineering and Sciences

Department Chair:

Wayne Penningtonwayne@mtu.edu