This project is an outgrowth of the United Nations “International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction” which ran through the 1990s and attempted to assess how nations could plan to effectually reduce damages caused by such natural disasters as hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis.
The “Decades Volcanoes” Project in the 21st Century
The original UN sponsored initiative, which established guidelines for mitigating disaster caused by volcanoes, arrived at many conclusions, among them a scenario that in developing nations--with an overwhelming number of poverty level citizens--ineffective governments had almost no practices in place to implement measures which would lessen loss, were not able to offer resources for coping with loss and had no plans for replacing damaged infrastructure and giving support to victims.
The “Decades Volcanoes” project has been continued by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI). It is now the primary international focus for researching volcanoes, working on ways of lessening volcanic impact and sponsoring research by related scientific disciplines to gain a better understanding of volcanic phenomena.
The Volcano Project Criteria
This project has focused upon 16 volcanoes. They were selected with these criteria:
- There is more than one eruption hazard (people could experience devastating rock falls, lava flows, landslides, lava dome collapse, tsunamis, etc.).
- There has been recent volcanic activity.
- They are located in densely populated areas where thousands of people are at risk.
- They are politically and physically easily accessible for research observations.
- There is local governmental cooperation and support.
The 16 Volcanoes
The 16 volcanoes selected for the project were considered to be those of the most threat to populated areas. They are:
- Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka – These grouped volcanoes in far eastern Russia erupt frequently and are near some moderately sized population centers. They have explosive eruptions and often spawn devastating landslides.
- Colima Volcano, Mexico – This and neighboring volcanoes are the most prominent of volcanoes on the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. They are noted for causing large debris avalanches.
- Mount Etna, Italy – This active volcano in Sicily is Europe's largest and is in an almost constant state of Eruption.
- Merapi Volcano, Indonesia – This is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. Thousands of people live on its flanks and it is close to the city of Yogyakarta. Smoke emerges about 300 days a year and it erupted in 2006.
- Mauna Loa, Hawaii – In terms of its volume and area covered, this is earth's largest volano. It rises nearly 13,000 feet and is in a region of almost constant earthquakes.
- Galeras Volcano, Colombia – This volcano, near the city of Pasto, is one of Colombia’s most frequently active volcanoes.
- Mount Rainier, Washington – More than 14,000 feet high, Mount Rainier has 26 major glaciers and two volcanic craters, is near the Seattle-Tacoma metropoplitan area, and is known for eruptions producing large debris avalanches and volcanic mudflows.
- Vesuvius Volcano, Italy – The most historic ancient volcano, Vesuvius in known for its 79 A.D. eruption which covered Pompeii and neighboring villages in 10 feet of volcanic debris.
- Santorini Volcano, Greece – With its its steep-walled caldera rim draped by whitewashed villages overlooking an active volcanic island in the center of a caldera bay, Santorini is one of the scenic, but deadly, highlights of the Aegean. Minoans abandoned the island during a violent eruption about 3,500 years ago.
- Taal Volcano, Philippines – Just 30 miles from Manila, Taal has been restless since 1991, with swarms of earthquakes, new steaming areas and ground fracturing. Volcanologists are carefully monitoring it to learn if current activity indicates an eruption may soon occur.
- Teide Volcano, Canary Islands, Spain – The third largest volcano in the world, MountTeide last erupted in 1909 and is considered an active and unstable volcano.
- Ulawun Volcano, Papua New Guinea – Early 20th century eruptions were mildly explosive, but after 1970 several larger eruptions produced lava flows.
- Unzen Volcano, Japan – This massive volcanic complex includes several volcanoes. Activity from1990 to 1995 formed a lava dome at the summit, accompanied by pyroclastic flows that caused fatalities and damaged a populated area near Shimabara City.
- Sakura-jima Volcano, Japan – Since 1955 Sakura-jima has erupted 100 to 200 times each year and is closely monitored.
- Niragongo Volcano, Democratic Republic of the Congo – It has been almost continuously active since 2002, when its lava flow reached the provincial capital.
- Santa Maria/Santiaguito Volcano, Guatemala – The 1902 eruption of Santa Maria was one of the world’s largest in the 20th century. A 1929 explosion killed about 5,000 people.
There are related articles on lesson plan resources for teaching about volcanoes, about seven historic volcanoes, and a quick course in volcanoes.
Sources:
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI), iavcei.org; accessed May 1, 2010.
Smithsonian (U. S. National Museum of Natural History) Global Volcanism Program; retrieved May 1, 2010.
U. S. Geological Survey's "Volcano Hazards Program", online facts and resources page; retrieved May 1, 2010
USGS/Cascades Volcano Observatory, Decades Project, list of 16 Decade Volcanoes; retrieved May 1, 2010
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