UNAM achieves a 3D model of Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano with the help of AI

UNAM achieves a 3D model of Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano with the help of AI

Scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have created the first tridimensional model ofthe Popocatépetl volcanoin the pursuit of understanding its internal structure, resolving doubts as to the existence of magma chambers, and optimizing monitoring efforts as well as disaster prevention, according to a recent issue oftheGaceta UNAM, the university’s bi-weekly publication. The studyEstructura de velocidades sísmicas del volcán Popocatépetl, México, a partir de campos difusivos(Structure of seismic velocities of the Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico, via diffusion fields), which was published in the journalScienceDirect, states that the model will better allow for the anticipation of future eruptive episodes. “What we do, literally, is generate a radiography of its interior, only it’s three-dimensional. This represents an advantage because it allows us to turn ‘Popo’ around and observe how seismic waves propagate within it,” explains Marco Calò, lead researcher of the Geophysics Institute project. One of the innovations presented by the illustration, which makes use of artificial intelligence, is the possibility of constructing tomographies in four dimensions in the future.

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