Using Historical Databases for the Identification and Analysis of Future Volcanic Risk : VOGRIPA

Crosweller, Helen Sian and Sparks, Steve and Siebert, Lee and Ortiz Guerrero, Natalie and Hobbs, Laura Kate and Kiyosugi, Koji and Loughlin, Susan Clare (2010) Using Historical Databases for the Identification and Analysis of Future Volcanic Risk : VOGRIPA. In: UNSPECIFIED.

Abstract

VOGRIPA (Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project) originated as part of the Global Risk Identification Programme (GRIP under the auspices of the United Nations and World Bank. GRIP is a 5-year programme aiming at improving global knowledge about risk from natural hazards. VOGRIPA is also a formal IAVCEI project. The objectives are to create a global database of volcanic activity, hazards and vulnerability information that can be analysed to identify locations at high risk from volcanism, gaps in knowledge about hazards and risk, and allow scientists and disaster managers to analyse risk within a global context of systematic information. The inclusion of risk and vulnerability as well as hazard sets VOGRIPA apart from most previous databases. The University of Bristol is the coordinating centre for the project, which is an international partnership including the Smithsonian Institution, Geological Survey of Japan, British Geological Survey, University of Buffalo (SUNY), University of South Florida and Munich Re. The partnership is intended to grow, and any individuals or institutions that are able to contribute resources to VOGRIPA objectives are welcome to participate. Work has already begun on populating a database of large magnitude explosive eruptions reaching back to the Quaternary, with extreme-value statistics being used to evaluate the magnitude-frequency relationship, and also an assessment of how the quality and completeness of records affect the results. The following 4 years of funding from the European Research Council will be used to establish international collaborations to develop different aspects of the database, with data being accessible online once it is sufficiently complete and analyses have been carried out. It is anticipated that such a resource would be useful for the scientific community, civil authorities with responsibility for mitigating and managing volcanic hazards, and the public.