A volcano observatory is an institution that conducts research and monitoring of a
volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...
.
Each observatory provides continuous and periodic monitoring of the
seismicity, other geophysical changes, ground movements,
volcanic gas
Volcanic gases are gases given off by active (or, at times, by dormant) volcanoes. These include gases trapped in cavities (Vesicular texture, vesicles) in volcanic rocks, dissolved or dissociated gases in magma and lava, or gases emanating from ...
chemistry, and
hydrologic
Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and drainage basin sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is called a hydro ...
conditions and activity between and during
eruptions. They also provide a detailed record of eruptions in progress.
Monitor
These observations serve to characterize eruptive behavior, identify the nature of precursory activity leading to eruption, define the processes by which different types of deposits are emplaced, and specify the hazards that could be unleashed by each kind of eruption. From direct observation of precursory signs, it is possible to anticipate eruptions. In times of volcanic unrest, observatories issue warnings and recommendations - they take on an advisory role for decision-making governmental civil defense agencies (the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
in the U.S. or the
Protezione Civile
The (Civil Protection), officially (Civil Protection Department), is the national body in Italy that deals with the prediction, prevention and management of emergency events. It was established in 1992 by , which was updated in 2012, and it is ...
in Italy) and ideally continue producing observational data.
Earthquakes
Underlying all observatory operations is an ongoing program of fundamental research in volcanic processes, supplemented by collaborative studies with universities, government agencies (in the U.S. for instance with other
US Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on March ...
centers, and
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploratio ...
), industry and
non-governmental organizations
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
. Such research typically includes direct interpretation of the monitoring and eruption data, and it leads to formulation of conceptual models that can be tested by theoretical or laboratory simulations of volcanic systems.
Almost all observatories are members of the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO). The oldest volcano observatory is the Osservatorio Vesuviano (founded 1841) in Naples, now a member of the Italian government agency
INGV.
See also
*
INGV Mt Etna Volcano Observatory
*INGV
Vesuvius Observatory
The Vesuvius Observatory () is the surveillance centre for monitoring the three volcanic areas of Campania, Italy: Mount Vesuvius, the Phlegrean Fields and Ischia. Founded in 1841 on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius by Ferdinand II of Bourbon, Ki ...
*
Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team
*
Montserrat Volcano Observatory
*
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
*
Piton de la Fournaise Volcano Observatory
*
Southern Andean Volcano Observatory
*
Volcanic Ash Advisory Center
*
Volcano Hazards Program of the United States
:*
Alaska Volcano Observatory
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) is a joint program of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAFGI), and the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surv ...
:*
California Volcano Observatory
:*
Cascades Volcano Observatory
:*
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
:*
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory
:*
Volcano warning schemes of the United States
In October 2006, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) adopted a nationwide alert system for characterizing the level of unrest and eruptive activity at volcanoes. The system is now used by the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the California Volca ...
Further reading
*Thompson, Dick (2002
''Volcano Cowboys: The Rocky Evolution of a Dangerous Science''Macmillan pp 53–59, 142, 175
*James Monroe, Reed Wicander, Richard Hazlett (2006
''Physical Geology: Exploring the Earth''Cengage Learning pg 167
*Rob Young, Lisa Norby (2009) ''Geological Monitoring'' pg 273
References
External links
WOVO: World Organization of Volcano Observatories websiteIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia*
- ''
Campania, Italy''
*
Sezione di Catania (Mt. Etna)
Observatorio Volcanológico De los Andes del Sur
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Volcano monitoring