Geosimulating Hazard Warning Triggers: Geometry, Dynamics, and Timing. GeoComputation 2019

Warning triggers are a means to answer the question: who should be warned to take a protective action in a disaster and when? A warning trigger is comprised of a target

population, a recommended protective action, and an environmental condition – where the target population is warned to take the action if the condition occurs. While triggers have been studied across different hazards for specific study areas, they have not been explored

from a general geometric perspective. The goal of this study is to apply geosimulation to compare the efficacy of two geometric approaches to defining warning triggers using

assumptions regarding threat dynamics, decision making, and public response. The results reveal strengths and weaknesses of each approach that may help inform decision makers on which trigger type would be most effective in a given threat scenario.