Signal processing for Wireless Geophone Network to detect landslides

Rain fall induced landslides are a common cause of damages to life and property in the Western Ghats region in south India. Work have been in progress to develop a monitoring system to predict the landslides to reduce the loss of human life. We have developed and deployed a Wireless Sensor Network to monitor rainfall induced landslide, in Munnar, South India. A successful landslide warning was issued in June 2009 using this system. This paper discusses the enhancement of the existing system by incorporating a Wireless Geophone Network to locate the initiation of landslide, and the direction and velocity of motion of the slide. A nested geophone methodology and triangulation method was designed to collect and analyze the relevant signals. A novel signal processing algorithm was developed to analyze the geophone data and automatically detect the landslide signal. A feedback method used to reduce the traffic congestion in the network is also detailed here. The design and developed system was tested and validated, in the landslide laboratory set up at our university, for which results are shown in this paper.