The Mobile Avalanche Analysis Station, developed by TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center for AFAD, will provide decision-makers with real-time analysis by collecting instant data in areas with high avalanche risk. Thanks to its indigenous sensor technology and secure data transmission infrastructure, the system will open the doors to a new era in early warning, rapid response and proactive decision-making processes in Turkey's disaster management.
Within the scope of the "Development of Avalanche Passive Temporary-Active Permanent Prevention Methods, Measurement and Monitoring Systems" project carried out with the aim of strengthening Turkey's technological capacity against disaster risks, TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) has made an important innovation. The Mobile Avalanche Analysis Station developed for AFAD opens the doors to a new era in disaster management. The first application of the system was realized in Dideban Mountain, one of the regions with high avalanche potential. The data received from the station equipped with special sensors installed in the region will be transmitted simultaneously to the mobile analysis center. Thus, a risk assessment will be made before the avalanche hazard occurs, providing reliable data to decision support mechanisms.
Technology Driven Transformation in Disaster Management
The infrastructure developed by TÜBİTAK MAM has a flexible structure that can be used not only against avalanches but also against landslides, rockfalls and similar mass movements. The system consists of a sensor network, high-security data transmission and a mobile analysis station. Alper Seçgin, Senior Engineer and Leader of the Sensor and System Technologies Research Group, emphasizes the importance of this technology in pre-disaster response processes as follows:
"AFAD Mobile Avalanche Analysis Station will be able to instantly analyze meteorological and snow mass data received from sensors installed in the field. This system will not only detect the danger, but also provide early warning by calculating possible scenarios in advance. Thus, intervention decisions can be taken before the risks are realized. We can adapt the same technology in different regions of Turkey according to changing risk conditions. This flexibility provides a great advantage for the system to be rolled out on a national scale."
Seçgin also states that the system is designed modularly so that it can be adapted to different types of disasters across the country.
Secure and Instant Data Flow with Local Technology
The data collection and transmission infrastructure, which forms the backbone of the system, was developed entirely with domestic engineering solutions. Senior Researcher Aydın Özcan, a member of the project team, says that this structure stands out with its durability and security in the field:
"The system has an expandable sensor network. It will be able to monitor dozens of parameters such as snow thickness, wind speed, temperature at the same time. This data will be transferred directly to the AFAD center via secure communication infrastructure. Thus, the data in the field will reach the center both safely and uninterruptedly."
Proactive Management Against Disasters with Data-Driven Decision Mechanisms
One of the important outputs of the project is the instant and analyzed data flow to AFAD's decision-making processes. Lead Researcher Yusuf Öztürk states that the system differs from classical disaster monitoring approaches in this respect:
"Accessing the right information at the right time is everything in disaster management. Our system will be able to generate avalanche risk reports and early warnings by analyzing data from the field. This information will be transferred directly to the screens of decision makers so that measures can be taken before the event occurs."
A New Step in Turkey's Disaster Strategy
The Mobile Avalanche Analysis Station will stand out as a system developed by TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center (MAM) that will embody Turkey's proactive approach that puts technology at the center of disaster management. Thanks to its expandable sensor network, mobile structure and secure data transfer infrastructure, it will collect and analyze instant data in disasters caused by avalanches, landslides, rockfalls and other mass movements; it will enable intervention before the risk occurs and enable decision-makers to take fast and accurate steps based on scientific data. The robust and long-term operation capacity developed with domestic engineering solutions will enable the system to be easily adapted to different geographical and climatic conditions, while its multi-purpose usage feature will allow monitoring not only avalanches but also other types of disasters. With all these features, the Mobile Avalanche Analysis Station developed by TÜBİTAK MAM will strengthen Turkey's preparedness against disasters, represent the most concrete example of a precaution-based and sustainable management approach in the field, and take the country's technological capacity in disaster management one step further.
