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Improving Understanding of Volcanic Eruptions

Completed

Topics

Accurate forecasts of the likelihood and magnitude of a volcanic eruption in a specified timeframe are rooted in a scientific understanding of the processes that govern the storage, ascent, and eruption of magma. Yet our understanding of volcanic systems is incomplete and biased by the limited number of volcanoes and eruption styles observed with advanced instrumentation. This report identifies key science questions, research and observation priorities, and approaches for building a volcano science community capable of tackling them, and presents goals for making major advances in volcano science.

About Past Events

Description

An ad hoc committee will examine fundamental research needed to improve understanding of the processes that initiate, sustain, and end volcanic eruptions and the relationships between those processes and observed eruption precursors. In particular, the committee will undertake the following tasks:

• Summarize current understanding of how magma is stored, ascends, and erupts.
• Discuss new disciplinary and interdisciplinary research on volcanic processes and precursors that could lead to forecasts of the type, size, and timing of volcanic eruptions.
• Describe new observations or instrument deployment strategies that could improve quantification of volcanic eruption processes and precursors.
• Identify priority research and observations needed to improve understanding of volcanic eruptions and to inform monitoring and early warning efforts.

Contributors

Committee

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Sponsors

NASA

National Academy of Sciences Arthur L. Day Fund

National Science Foundation

United States Geological Survey

Staff

Anne Linn

Lead

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