The Volcano Masaya

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The Volcano Masaya is an active volcano. Having shown the earth some of the largest eruptions in history roughly 7000ma and 19 times in the last 400 years, there is no telling if or when another catastrophic eruption could occur. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere. While there is a current evacuation route in place, alternate routes are needed. Most residents will not evacuate unless the military comes and tells them to. The residents are not educated about the hazards of their environment.

 

After a few months of preliminary research, a visit to the study site arrived. Using GPS units, a camera, and a field notebook, we took to the local communities. Data points were collected and points of caution, churches, schools, medical centers and various outcrops of previous eruptions were taken. The data gathered at the study site was compared the preliminary data done before the trip. After all the data was analyzed we used GIS Software to create a hazards map and alternate evacuation route.

 

This project came based on a discussion with the group who signed up to go on a study abroad

trip. We were told then that we could do an EDGE Project while on this trip. I asked my professor if he had any ideas of a project that would be good for me while we were there. He gave me a few options. After thinking about them and talking with a fellow geology student also going on the trip, the Volcano Masaya project was born.

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Some local kids at a school in the study area

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Project Challenges

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Some of the challenges that were encountered didn’t really begin until we were at the study site. We didn’t fully know how to set up the coordinate system we needed on the GPS Units.