National Academies Press: OpenBook
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

REVIEW OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURUEY’S VOLCANO HAZARDS PROGRAM

Committee on the Review of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program

Board on Earth Sciences and Resources

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior, under assistance award No. 98HQAG2218. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. government.

International Standard Book Number 0-309-07096-1

Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Box 285 Washington, DC 20055 800–624–6242 202–334–3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area) http://www.nap.edu

Cover: Eruption of Mount St. Helens, courtesy of InterNetwork Media.

Copyright 2000 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M.Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A.Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I.Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M.Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE VOLCANO HAZARDS PROGRAM OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

JONATHAN H.FINK, Chair,

Arizona State University, Tempe

CHARLES B.CONNOR,

Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas

W.GARY ERNST,

Stanford University, California

RICHARD S.FISKE,

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

CATHERINE J.HICKSON,

Geological Survey of Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia

HARRY KIM,

Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, Hilo

STUART A.ROJSTACZER,

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

PAUL SEGALL,

Stanford University, California

JOHN STIX,

McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

FREDERICK J.SWANSON,

U.S. Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon

NRC Staff

TAMARA L.DICKINSON, Study Director

REBECCA E.SHAPACK, Research Assistant

JUDITH L.ESTEP, Administrative Assistant (through January, 2000)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES

RAYMOND JEANLOZ, Chair,

University of California, Berkeley

JOHN J.AMORUSO,

Amoruso Petroleum Company, Houston, Texas

PAUL B.BARTON, JR.,

U.S. Geological Survey (emeritus), Reston, Virginia

BARBARA L.DUTROW,

Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge

ADAM M.DZIEWONSKI,

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

RICHARD S.FISKE,

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

JAMES M.FUNK,

Shell Continental Companies (retired), Houston, Texas

WILLIAM L.GRAF,

Arizona State University, Tempe

SUSAN M.KIDWELL,

University of Chicago, Illinois

SUSAN W.KIEFFER,

Kieffer & Woo, Inc., Palgrave, Ontario, Canada

PAMELA D.LUTTRELL,

Dallas, Texas

ALEXANDRA NAVROTSKY,

University of California, Davis

DIANNE R.NIELSON,

Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Salt Lake City

JONATHAN G.PRICE,

Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology, Reno

MILTON H.WARD,

Hapibo Corporation, Tucson, Arizona

NRC Staff

ANTHONY R.DE SOUZA, Director

TAMARA L.DICKINSON, Senior Program Officer

DAVID A.FEARY, Senior Program Officer

ANNE M.LINN, Senior Program Officer

JENNIFER T.ESTEP, Administrative Associate

REBECCA E.SHAPACK, Research Assistant

VERNA J.BOWEN, Administrative Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M.HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

RICHARD A.CONWAY,

Union Carbide Corporation (retired), South Charleston, West Virginia

LYNN GOLDMAN,

Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland

THOMAS E.GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

THOMAS J.GRAFF,

Environmental Defense Fund, Oakland, California

EUGENIA KALNAY,

University of Maryland, College Park

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.

JOHN B.MOONEY, JR.,

J. Brad Mooney Associates, Ltd., Arlington, Virginia

HUGH C.MORRIS,

El Dorado Gold Corporation, Vancouver, British Columbia

H.RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

MILTON RUSSELL,

University of Tennessee (retired), Knoxville

ROBERT J.SERAFIN,

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado

ANDREW R.SOLOW,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

NRC Staff

ROBERT M.HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H.SYMMES, Associate Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative and Financial Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making their published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:

Grant Heiken

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos, New Mexico

George M.Hornberger

Unviersity of Virginia,

Charlottesville

Donald Hull

Partners for Loss Prevention

Portland, Oregon

R.Wally Johnson

Australian Geological Survey

Canberra, Australia

Peter Mouginis-Mark

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu

John Pitlick

University of Colorado

Boulder

Michael Sheridan

State University of New York,

Buffalo

John Trapp

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Rockville, Maryland

David Walker

Columbia University

Palisades, New York

Although the individuals listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R1
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R2
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R4
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R8
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R9
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R10
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R11
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2000. Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9884.
×
Page R12
Next: Executive Summary »
Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $50.00 Buy Ebook | $39.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The United States has more than 65 active or potentially active volcanoes, more than those of all other countries except Indonesia and Japan. During the twentieth century, volcanic eruptions in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington devastated thousands of square kilometers of land, caused substantial economic and societal disruption and, in some instances, loss of life. More than 50 U.S. volcanoes have erupted one or more times in the past 200 years. Recently, there have been major advances in our understanding of how volcanoes work. This is partly because of detailed studies of eruptions and partly because of advances in global communications, remote sensing, and interdisciplinary cooperation.

The mission of the Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) is to "lessen the harmful impacts of volcanic activity by monitoring active and potentially active volcanoes, assessing their hazards, responding to volcanic crises, and conducting research on how volcanoes work." To provide a fresh perspective and guidance to the VHP about the future of the program, the Geologic and Water Resources Divisions of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) requested that the National Research Council conduct an independent and comprehensive review.

Review of the U. S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program is organized around the three components of hazards mitigation. Chapter 2 deals with research and hazard assessment. Chapter 3 covers monitoring and Chapter 4 discusses crisis response and other forms of outreach conducted by the VHP. Chapter 5 describes various cross-cutting programmatic issues such as staffing levels, data formats, and partnerships. Chapter 6 offers a vision for the future of the Volcano Hazards Program, and Chapter 7 summarizes the conclusions and recommendations of the preceding chapters. Throughout the report, major conclusions are printed in italics and recommendations in bold type.

The committee has written this report for several different audiences. The main audience is upper management within the USGS and the VHP. However, the committee believes that scientists within the VHP will also find the report valuable. The report is written in such a manner as to be useful to congressional staff as well.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!