Week 5- How to minimize Volcanic Hazards in the US: USGS Alert Codes

This week Geol9 is exploring the volcanic hazards in different countries and their warning systems. I’ll be focusing on the US.

There are several ways we minimize the danger of volcanic activity (apart from the obvious of ‘getting out of the way’…(J:

·         Forecasting (earthquakes as early warnings -although in 2014 a Japanese volcano erupted without any previous seismicity (livescience article), land swelling before eruption, gas emissions, etc.)

·         Volcanic Alert Codes (USGS): the levels of alert and the aviation code levels commonly change at the same time (chart on right). A non-erupting volcano will have a green icon, and a red one indicates an imminent eruption (see USGS Alert Codes).

Today the US hazards map shows 4 volcanoes as to be above normal background (elevated unrest):

Cleveland and Mauna Loa Alert Level=ADVISORY. Aviation Color Code=Yellow.

Semisopochnoi and Shishaldin  Alert Level=WATCH. Aviation Color Code=Orange.