Ljósvari Receives Funding from the Strategic Research Programme on Natural Hazards

Ljósvari, a project focused on monitoring natural hazards using telecommunications infrastructure, is one of five research projects that recently received funding through Iceland's Strategic Research Programme on Natural Hazards. The grants were announced at the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education.

One of the project's principal investigators is Dr. Vala Hjörleifsdóttir, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at Reykjavík University. Dr. Hjörleifsdóttir is one of Iceland's leading experts in earthquake monitoring and has published extensively in some of the world's foremost scientific journals in this field in recent years.

Ljósvari is a collaborative project involving Reykjavík University, the University of Iceland, the Icelandic Meteorological Office, Tengi, Orkufjarskipti, Míla, and Ljósleiðarinn. The project aims to strengthen natural hazard monitoring in Iceland by using existing fibre-optic infrastructure to measure subtle movements of the Earth's crust through Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). DAS technology transforms fibre-optic cables into a dense, continuous network of sensors capable of detecting vibrations and strain in real time, enabling highly sensitive, accurate, and cost-effective monitoring of volcanic eruptions, landslides, and avalanches.

The Strategic Research Programme on Natural Hazards operates under the auspices of the Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, with a total of ISK 600 million allocated in research funding. The programme's objective is to better prepare Iceland and its communities for natural disasters and extreme natural events while supporting coordinated and effective response efforts.

Four additional projects also received funding. Together, these initiatives are intended to significantly advance scientific knowledge, strengthen prevention and preparedness, and support better decision-making when natural hazards threaten. More information about all of the funded projects is available in a news article on the website of the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education.