The UWI Seismic Research Centre Team’s communications
receive boost from Digicel
The UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. Friday, April 16, 2021. — Field Scientists at The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) / Montserrat Volcano Observatory based in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines now have the benefit of an LTE modem courtesy Digicel.
Last weekend, the scientists who are currently monitoring the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano received the equipment from Digicel representatives in Saint Vincent.
The modem was provided for use at the Belmont Observatory in Saint Vincent which is the established forward base for scientific observation during the ongoing crisis. LTE modems use cellular technology which have become increasingly robust during natural hazard impacts. This equipment will provide an additional layer of redundancy for communications at the Observatory, ensuring internet connectivity is maintained if the primary wired network is compromised in any way.
Expressing gratitude on behalf of UWI-SRC, Education and Outreach Manager, Ms Stacey Edwards noted, “Communication is very important in these hazardous conditions and backup systems are always necessary, especially when so much is at stake. The UWI Seismic Research Centre Team is grateful to the Digicel Group for their generous contribution and support to the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines”.
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Notes to the Editor
Photo Caption: Roderick Stewart, Volcano Seismologist monitors the seismic activity coming from La Soufrière, St. Vincent at the Belmont Observatory.
For updates on activity at La Soufrière Volcano in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, follow The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC) on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/uwiseismic and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/uwiseismic
About The UWI Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC)
The Seismic Research Centre was set up in 1953 and became part of The UWI in 1962. From its headquarters in Trinidad, it operates a volcano and earthquake monitoring network throughout the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean islands extending from St. Kitts & Nevis to Trinidad & Tobago. The UWI-SRC is responsible for monitoring earthquake and volcanic activity in these islands. The region in which these countries are located is seismically active and historically has been the site of earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8.0. There are at least 19 live volcanoes in the region, which have been the sites of numerous eruptions, most recently in Montserrat (1995-present), Dominica (1997, phreatic) and St. Vincent & the Grenadines (2020-present). The UWI-SRC currently manages the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), which is responsible for monitoring the on-going eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano.
About The UWI
For over 70 years The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has provided service and leadership to the Caribbean region and wider world. The UWI has evolved from a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948 to an internationally respected, regional university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and an Open Campus. As part of its robust globalization agenda, The UWI has established partnering centres with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe including the State University of New York (SUNY)-UWI Center for Leadership and Sustainable Development; the Canada-Caribbean Institute with Brock University; the Strategic Alliance for Hemispheric Development with Universidad de los Andes (UNIANDES); The UWI-China Institute of Information Technology, the University of Lagos (UNILAG)-UWI Institute of African and Diaspora Studies; the Institute for Global African Affairs with the University of Johannesburg (UJ); The UWI-University of Havana Centre for Sustainable Development; The UWI-Coventry Institute for Industry-Academic Partnership with the University of Coventry and the Glasgow-Caribbean Centre for Development Research with the University of Glasgow.
The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Food & Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities & Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science & Technology, Social Sciences and Sport.
As the region’s premier research academy, The UWI’s foremost objective is driving the growth and development of the regional economy. The world’s most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education, has ranked The UWI among the top 600 universities in the world for 2019 and 2020, and the 40 best universities in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2018 and 2019, then top 20 in 2020. The UWI has been the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists. For more, visit www.uwi.edu.
(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of the “The”, hence The UWI.)
