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This article was published on August 3, 2016

GE hits up Snapchat and Facebook Live to chronicle a 1,200-foot descent into a volcano


GE hits up Snapchat and Facebook Live to chronicle a 1,200-foot descent into a volcano

Whereas our older generations gathered around the television to watch a man tightrope walk between skyscrapers or attended an actual event to see Evel Knievel perform epic jumps, today watching the next wild stunt is as simple as launching an app on your phone.

In partnership with science tech company Qwake, General Electric is hoping to bring the adventures straight to fans’ mobile devices by streaming its journey down the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. The trip’s purpose is to install a wireless sensor network in one of the world’s most active lava lakes to monitor when the next eruption may occur, and gain real-time data to create early detection systems.

The crew begun their descent on August 2, and have been sending Snapchat stories on the journey downward. The trip will take the team down 1,200 feet to implement a system of 56 sensors that monitors carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, gravity, and more. After three months, data will be released to developers worldwide.

GE is expected to stream on Facebook Live next Friday August 12 straight from the site of the volcano so curious viewers can ask more questions about what it’s like to descend into an active lava lake. You can follow GE on Snapchat or Facebook to catch a glimpse inside the ongoing journey.

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