Review of the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Hazards Program (2000) / Chapter Skim
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4 Crisis Response and Outreach
4 Crisis Response and Outreach
Pages 65-78
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From page 65... ...
Similarly, the Mammoth Lakes resort area of eastern California had a serious volcanic crisis in the early 1 980s triggered by a large number of earthquakes, even though no magma broke the surface. In contrast to research, assessment, and monitoring, which all can be carried out largely by scientists and technicians with minimal involvement of the general public, crisis response requires close coordination with civil defense officials and the potentially affected population.
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From page 66... ...
VDAP has proven to be highly effective in saving lives and property by assisting local scientists in determining the nature and possible consequences of volcanic unrest and communicating eruption forecasts and hazard mitigation information to local authorities. VDAP has responded to ~ 5 international volcanic crises since ~ 980 (Figure 4.
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From page 67... ...
Fundamental research helps refine eruption models so that they can be applied more accurately to real situations. Prior hazard assessments provide essential clues about the possible impacts of fixture eruptions.
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From page 68... ...
At the request of host countries and in conjunction with the USAID, an experienced team of USGS and other scientists can be dispatched rapidly to developing volcanic crises with a portable cache of state-of-the-art monitoring equipment. In contrast to domestic crisis response, foreign deployments generally build upon monitoring and assessment efforts carried out by agencies of other governments following protocols that may be significantly different from those used by the USGS.
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From page 69... ...
Although crisis response is clearly one of the most successful aspects of the Volcano Hazards Program, the committee heard several suggestions for ways in which these functions could be improved. These ideas, which parallel proposals raised in Chapters 2 and 3, fall under the
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From page 70... ...
These workshops, by allowing a number of staff members from various observatories to discuss crisis situations, provide good opportunities for team building prior to the onset of an actual eruptive crisis to which they must respond. Another missed opportunity for expanding the training potential of foreign volcanic crisis responses comes from the inability of VDAP members to archive their observations.
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From page 71... ...
This issue demands close monitoring, coordination, and allocation of staff time by the relevant scientists in charge to ensure that such information is forthcoming. The stated VHP goal of carefully documenting actual volcanic crises and responses is extremely important if the maximum information is to be obtainedfrom any given eruption and is strongly endorsed by the committee.
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From page 72... ...
Partnership Issues Crisis responses provide opportunities to better link the VHP with outside groups such as university faculty, foreign scientists, and emergency management officials. In the past, university researchers have commonly been excluded from the volcanic crisis situations coordinated by the VHP.
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From page 73... ...
Students could be responsible for ongoing routine measurements and could provide help with data archiving, thus enabling the professional team to spend more time on data integration and assimilation. International responses should be coordinated with local investigators, VHP members have generally accomplished this and have developed professional relationships in other countries on the level of both individual scientists and institutions.
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From page 74... ...
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From page 75... ...
On the other hand, as populations, economic development, and tourism increase in volcanically active regions, the VHP will face greater pressure to continuously update and improve existing hazard assessments and to keep the public informed about the status of nearby volcanoes. In a crisis situation, the scientist in charge of the relevant observatory plays a crucial communication role.
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From page 76... ...
In recent years, large amounts of information have been made available through observatory Web sites. Members of the HVO staff write a weekly article entitled "Volcano Watch" that is published in a local newspaper, and a group of volcano specialists from the CVO has set up a "volcano hazards booth" at the Western Washington State Fair, downsiope from nearby Mount Rainier.
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From page 77... ...
A USGS "VoIcano Hazards Association" might operate in much the same way, promoting sales of VHP products and ensuring that profits are retained for future outreach activities. Similarly, USGS policy dictates that flyers and other inexpensive VHP outreach products be distributed free of charge to the public.
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From page 78... ...
Existing outreach products of the VHP were judged by the committee to be of high quality and effective in helping mitigate volcano hazards. This effectiveness can be increased by developing ways for the VHP to retain proceeds from the sale of these products and by removing the impediments that limit the involvement of midcareer VHP personnel in their preparation and dissemination.
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