Artificial Intelligence helps solve the most complex problems at our feet | Health and Science

Few technological advancements have captured minds – and fear – of humanity like AI. Whether robots escalate to subjugate their makers as in the Westworld series, or the malicious computer Hal 9000 from the classic 2001 movie: A Space Odyssey, machines that can learn are portrayed as threats to the world as we know it.

These futures contracts are clearly the work of fictional screenwriters. In fact, artificial intelligence, or AI, is working in the geosciences at the moment to help save the world and save lives. This topic is the focus of a virtual seminar series throughout the summer called “Machine Learning in Solid Earth Sciences,” a series that was hosted in Santa Fe in the pre-COVID-19 years.

We haven’t gotten to the point yet where the machines might think for themselves. So when we talk about artificial intelligence, it’s about the ability of computer algorithms to assimilate massive amounts of data and uncertainty and then identify patterns, learn from those patterns, and make predictions thousands of times faster than a human.

This is especially useful in the field of geosciences, where we look for patterns deep below the Earth’s surface to understand Earth’s processes and resources. In geology, there is a host of unknown possibilities, and separating one slice of information between the cacophony of natural noise is impossible for the human mind.

Earthquakes are a good example, because while we can predict many natural disasters in the world, alerting cities to an upcoming earthquake is still a long way off. But the answer may lie in artificial intelligence.

To find this answer, we study fault zones, which constantly tremble as one tectonic plate pushes against another, creating vibrational signals much like sound waves. Occasionally, deep in the Earth, the plates move subtly, causing a “slow slip” movement that is almost imperceptible to humans.

Each slow slide leads to random mixing of these sound waves. For years, scientists have dismissed this as hype, and random data is useless. However, recently, Los Alamos National Laboratory applied artificial intelligence to this data and discovered that it was hiding a host of information about seismic and seismic behavior. For example, two years ago, a study in Los Alamos trained an AI algorithm to slowly slide along the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest. By focusing on these seemingly random signals as the plates erupted together, the algorithm detected a clear pattern preceding slow slip, a kind of signature, that allowed scientists to predict an event in a few days.

The science is still young, but it has opened up an exciting new path that could one day lead to global earthquake prediction systems.

This same principle applies to our carbon capture and storage effort, as we remove carbon dioxide from an industrial process or the atmosphere and store it underground to reduce its impact on climate change. The goal is clearly to trap this gas thousands of feet below the surface of the Earth, under layers of rocks. Unfortunately, carbon dioxide is activated, so it must be stored underground in airtight areas to prevent it from leaking back into the atmosphere. This raises the question: How long will you stay underground?

First, with sensors, AI can help detect CO2 leaks, and look for consistent patterns that can then trigger a leak alert. Second, artificial intelligence could help us predict the fate of carbon dioxide over thousands of years. Will the carbon dioxide eventually solidify, making the site more attractive and less prone to leakage? Along with the geological data and historical information provided by scientists, AI can provide a set of scenarios, then identify the most likely outcome.

This forward-looking ability also helps predict water shortages in New Mexico. In our state, about half of the drinking water comes from underground. Farmers use the wells to grow vegetables, orchards and animal feed. In the future with less rain, it is imperative to know how much water is on the ground, and how much water is left on any given day or month.

This can be done with the help of groundwater modeling, which helps us understand where groundwater is moving. In one place, there may be a vast aquifer underneath. But 100 yards in any direction the water might have to flow around an underground rock formation, making the ground beneath that location dry. And all of this can change depending on how much water is pumped from one place.

Linked to groundwater flow and aquifer models, an AI algorithm can tell us that if Farmer Joe pumped out X number of gallons, he could disable his neighbor’s well. Artificial intelligence can then use the expected precipitation for any given region to predict how that will change within a year or a decade. Artificial intelligence can also provide daily insight into how much water is being removed from an aquifer, and this information can help municipalities set standards that will benefit farmer Joe and people who expect water to flow from their taps every time they turn to the nobility.

Humans’ complex interactions with their environment, especially the subterranean resources on which we depend, challenge our understanding, making them difficult to predict. And it becomes more complex with increasing population and changes in the environment and climate. Fortunately, complex problems with unknown results are precisely the best that AI can solve.

Harry Viswanathan is a geologist in the Computational Geosciences Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where he studies subsurface energy and ecosystems.

.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos