Lloyd Lynch

Qualifications

B.Sc., UWI (1982)

Bio

A native Jamaican, Lloyd Lynch began his career at the Seismic Research Unit when he joined the Mona, Jamaica branch as an Electronic Technician in 1981. At the Unit in Jamaica his primary duty was to maintain the seismic network. In 1982, after completing his B.Sc. degree in Computer Sciences and Applied Physics he was promoted to Scientific Officer with the additional responsibility to oversee the local operation. In 1983 he transferred to St. Augustine, Trinidad to take up the post of Junior Research Fellow with responsibilities to maintain the eastern Caribbean Seismograph network and upgrade its design. Lloyd was promoted to Research Fellow in 1989. Between 1989 and 1991 the Unit lost two Heads of Department in quick succession and Lloyd served as interim Head. Between July 1995 and June 1997 he spent in excess of 40 weeks in Montserrat as one of the chief scientists.

Lloyd is currently pursuing part time graduate studies. He and his team continue to undertake projects that are geared at improving the monitoring services that the Unit provides to the local and regional communities. The most recent being the design and implementation of the Volcano monitoring network for the Kick ‘em Jenny Volcano and currently, a seismic monitoring of a Gas pipeline for the North Coast Marine Area of Trinidad. Lloyd is also one of three representatives from the Seismic Research Unit actively involved with the Caribbean charter of the Inter-Oceanic Commission’s (IOCARIBE) effort to develop a tsunami warning system for the Caribbean Basin and Adjacent Regions.

Responsiblities

Instrumentation, electronics

Research Interests

Use of PC to remotely record and monitor seismic activity and the use of available computer networks to transmit recorded data and manage the remote systems in a cost effective manner.

Current Projects

• Application of Distributed Computing Techniques in earthquake and volcano monitoring: This is a PhD project registered at the University of the West Indies. This research project is primarily concerned with the integration of Information and Telecommunication technology (ITC) into the regional seismic data acquisition/monitoring network. Investigations continued in the following three areas.
  • Use of broadband Internet access technology (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) and digital radio telemetry (Wireless Ethernet and Spread Spectrum radios) to improve the “last mile” segment of the seismic data communication network.
  • Use of Watchdog Timer and other techniques to improve the availability and reliability of the remote data acquisition/monitoring systems.
  • Development of a middleware software package that is suitable computer-networking infrastructure in the Eastern Caribbean. Two areas of development are being undertaken. The first employs traditional HTTP and FTP methods while the second method uses message queuing techniques.

The Indian Ocean tsunami of December 26, 2004 re-stimulated the drive to establish a regional Tsunami Warning System and strengthened the prospects for the establishment of a regional VSAT network to facilitate data and message communication. In anticipation of this we have started to investigate how the regional earthquake and volcano monitoring network infrastructure can be adapted to use satellite communication technology.

• Seismic Hazard Assessment: Using unclipped broadband recordings of strong earthquakes from three or more stations across the region we are studying ground motion attenuation patterns in order to gain better insights of the best attenuation relationship to use in future seismic hazard assessments. The results of this investigation is also being used to validate the last (2003) revision of regional hazard maps which uses attenuation functions that was selected based on clues derived from recordings of a few strong earthquakes in the Trinidad and Tobago area
• Earthquake Risk Reduction in Schools: The aim if this project is to develop an earthquake preparedness model plan for schools that can be adapted and put into effect on a national scale. We have chosen the University School as our model and have prepared the plan.

Conference Presentations

• Latchman, J., Robertson, R.E.A., Lynch, L. (2007). Recent onland Trinidad earthquakes and their implications. 4th Geological Conference & Exhibition (GSTT), Port of Spain Trinidad. Paper.
• Latchman, J, Robertson, R.E.A., Lynch, L. (2007). Hydrological effects of the 1997/04/22 Tobago earthquake. 4th Geological Conference & Exhibition (GSTT), Port of Spain Trinidad. Paper.
• Fournier N, Lynch L, Robertson R, Latchman J, Mohais R and Ramsingh C (2007): Multi-Hazards Geophysical Monitoring Through the Eastern Caribbean Islands arc: Strategy, Challenges and Future Development. AGU Joint Assembly, Acapulco, Mexico. Paper.

Major Publications

Journal Publications

• P. Joseph, M. Camejo-Harry, T. Christopher, R. Contreras-Arratia, S. Edwards, O. Graham, M. Johnson, A. Juman, J.L. Latchman, L. Lynch, V.L. Miller, I. Papadopoulos, K. Pascal, R. Robertson, G. A. Ryan, A. Stinton, R. Grandin, I. Hamling, M-J. Jo, J. Barclay, P. Cole, B.V. Davies, and R.S.J. Sparks 2021. Responding to eruptive transitions during the 2020–2021 eruption of La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent. Nature Communications. July 2022. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31901-4