An automated volcanic eruption warning system, developed by HS Orka's resource management, today won the Ský IT award in the digital public service category. The warning system is the first system of its kind in the world and the award is a great recognition and confirmation of the importance of the project.
The President of Iceland, Mrs. Halla Tómasdóttir, presented the award at a ceremony at the IT Fair in Harpa this afternoon, and Lárus Þorvaldsson, HS Orka's Chief Resource Scientist, accepted the award on behalf of the resource management team.
The software in the system reads data sent every minute from a pressure and temperature gauge located at a depth of 850 meters in borehole 12 in Svartsengi. The software then analyzes the data and if the pressure signal indicates that magma is moving, an automatic warning message is sent to the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The warning system has proven to be crucial in informing the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the Civil Protection Agency about an impending eruption, and the system is used there to make decisions about evacuations.
Eighteen workplaces and projects were nominated this time, but HS Orka's project was one of three in the digital public service category. The other two were Audkenni and Kosningalausnir RÚV.
Ský is an association for people and companies in information technology and the association is responsible for the annual IT fair. The IT awards are awarded for important contributions to information technology in Iceland and were awarded for the sixteenth time today.