Software Engineering Projects for Public Safety - Modeling Lava Flows on the Big Island

摘要

Capstone projects in software engineering are exceedingly important in providing computer science students with real world experience. This paper details the cross-disciplinary development of a lava flow modeling system that can be used to model the potential effects of a volcanic eruption on the island of Hawai'i. This paper discusses how 4th year undergraduate computer science students successfully applied software engineering paradigms and engaged in cross-disciplinary scientific inquiry in order to build a tool that will raise awareness of the potential hazards of living on an island with several active volcanoes.