SCIARA: Cellular automata lava flow modelling and applications in hazard prediction and mitigation

The use of thematic volcanic hazard maps is essential for policy managers and administrators in land use planning and to determine the best form of action during emergencies. In particular, hazard maps are a key tool in emergency management and are used to describe the threat expected at a certain location in the event of future eruptions. We applied the latest version of the SCIARA lava flow cellular automata model using parallel computing through general purpose graphics processing units technology to derive lava flow hazard maps for Mt Etna, Sicily. The methodology relies on an accurate analysis of the past behaviour of the volcano and is appropriate for land use planning and civil defence applications.