Yandex Utilizes Neural Networks to Address the Challenges of Volcanic Ash Spread
Yandex has introduced a service capable of monitoring volcanic ash movement and mitigating its impact on communities and ecosystems, marking a significant step in tackling this issue worldwide.
Volcanic ash presents a significant hazard, affecting regions across the globe with far-reaching consequences. Recent eruptions, such as Indonesia's Mt. Merapi, Iceland's Fagradalsfjall, and Russia's Shiveluch, highlight the urgency of effective monitoring and response mechanisms. These events have resulted in extensive ash emissions, causing disruptions to daily life and posing risks to public safety and infrastructure.
The collaboration between Yandex Cloud, Yandex Weather, and Yandex School of Data Analytics (YSDA) integrates expertise in machine learning, data analysis, and meteorology to create a comprehensive solution for tracking volcanic ash spread. Using advanced mathematical models and neural networks, the interactive map allows the real-time monitoring of ash clouds after eruptions, empowering authorities and communities to respond swiftly to ashfall and safeguard public safety and infrastructure.
Anna Lemyakina ,
Director of Strategic Projects at Yandex Cloud
Cloud technologies and machine learning services are at the forefront of tackling diverse social challenges, including the monitoring of natural phenomena. In projects such as forecasting volcanic ash dispersion, seamless and swift access to services for hypothesis testing and model training is crucial. Our project is readily scalable to monitor volcanoes worldwide, addressing the urgent issue of volcanic eruptions and their aftermath.
This new interactive map service not only tracks volcanic ash movement in real time, but also provides 24-hour forecasts, facilitating proactive measures to mitigate the impact of ashfall. Built on a machine learning model trained on diverse data sources, including satellite imagery and meteorological observations, the project will evolve to include the height and density determination of ash using additional machine learning models trained with Yandex DataSphere. Access to the map is available upon request for international organizations.
While the map is currently compiled to monitor ash from the volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the project can be expanded to other regions around the world. Yandex remains committed to leveraging technology for the benefit of society and the environment. Through this collaborative effort, Yandex aims to address the global challenges posed by volcanic ash, contributing to safer and more resilient communities worldwide.
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