Monitoring Active Volcanoes

Originally published in 1995, Monitoring Active Volcanoes is a comprehensive text which addresses the importance of volcano surveillance in the context of forecasting eruptive activity and mitigating its effects. The traditional core of seismic and ground deformation monitoring is discussed, along with more innovative techniques involving the recording of microgravity and micromagnetic variations, and the changing compositions of volcanic gases and liquids. The role of satellites is stressed, particularly with regard to the capabilities for measuring surface deformation, recognizing thermal anomalies and monitoring gas and ash plumes from space platforms. This book provides an invaluable insight into how and why volcanoes are monitored. It will be of interest to volcanologists, geophysicists and earth scientists.

This book is a visual learning experience as recorded on satellite images of volcanic eruptions and a manual describing how it is used for operational satellite monitoring. The atlas shows examples of the largest eruptions worldwide. The book fills a huge gap in the science of volcano remote sensing. A CD-ROM is included containing all the images and an associated website which will be regularly updated, showing results from new and current eruptions.

This volume develops a research plan to study and monitor Mount Rainier, an active Cascade volcano located about 35 km southeast of the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area. The book also addresses issues of communication and coordination among geoscientists, social scientists, planners, and responsible authorities, so that research results can be used to support hazard reduction efforts.

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.

By the year 2000, the number of people at risk from volcanic hazards is likely to increase to around half a billion. Since 1980, significant advances have been made in volcano monitoring, the data from which provides the sole scientific basis for eruption prediction. Here, internationally renowned and highly experienced specialists provide 25 comprehensive articles covering a wide range of related topics: monitoring techniques and data analysis; modelling of monitoring data and eruptive phenomena; volcanic hazards and risk assessment; and volcanic emergency management. Selected case histories of recent volcanic disasters, such as Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, demonstrate that effective communication - between scientists, civil authorities, the media and the population at risk - is essential to reducing the danger.

VOLCANOES Since the publication of the first edition of Volcanoes in 2010, our world of volcanology has changed in exciting ways. Volcanoes have continued to erupt (some 61 eruptions with VEI magnitudes greater than 3 have taken place since 2010), and in this revised and updated edition, the authors describe the largest of these, and the ones that have had the most impact on society. Volcanoes, Second Edition, contains more than 80 new photographs and figures to better illustrate volcanic features and processes, with an updated Bibliography that includes important papers describing recent eruptions and new findings. Volcanologic research is improving the foundations of knowledge upon which all our science rests, and we briefly summarize the most important of these advances and new research tools developed over the past eleven years. The most productive of these new tools are remotely operated, constantly monitoring volcanoes and their impacts on the Earth’s atmosphere from space and exploring new volcanic worlds beyond the bounds of Earth. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are now widely available to understand better the most active volcanoes on Earth - those beneath the sea. This superlative textbook will enable students who may never see an erupting volcano to evaluate news stories about far-away eruptions, and to distinguish between overly sensational stories and factual reporting that puts facts in context. Emergency managers, land use planners, and civic officials also need to understand volcanic processes when their communities are threatened – this book will inform and guide them in their decision-making. Avoiding overly technical discussions and unnecessary use of jargon, with the important needs of civil authorities, teachers and students particularly in mind, this second edition of Volcanoes will also be of interest to general readers who are interested in these fascinating and ever-changing features of our dynamic planet.

A multidisciplinary volume describing the effects of volcanism on the environment, past and present, for researchers and advanced students.