Strengthening of R+D capacities for the monitoring of volcanic activity in the Macaronesia

Details

Acronim: VOLRISKMAC
Partners: Instituto Volcanologico de Canarias (INVOLCAN), Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER), Agencia Insular de Energía de Tenerife (AIET), Centro de Vulcanologia e Avaliação de Riscos Geológicos da Universidade dos Açores (CVARG), CIVISA – Centro de Informação e Vigilância Sismovulcânica dos Açores, Insitituto das Florestas e Conservação da Natureza (IPRAM).
Duration: 2016-2019 (4 years)
Budget: 1.590.032,51€
Financing: Madeira-Azores-Canary Islands Interreg Territorial Cooperation Programme (MAC) 2014-2020.  Axis 3 – Promote adaptation to the Climate Change and risk prevention and management.

 

Overview of the project

The main aim of the VOLRISKMAC project is to strengthen capacities for the monitoring of volcanic activity, with the aim of improving the early warning system for volcanic eruptions and earthquake crisis, as well as the management of volcanic crises in Macaronesia.

The volcanic risk in the Macaronesia region is now greater than 50 years ago due to a socio-economic and population increase in the region exposed to hazards associated with the volcanic phenomenon. As this development will continue over the next years, the volcanic risk in the region will be higher in 2050 than it is today. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen all the capacities to contribute to the volcanic risk reduction in the region.

The volcanic risk’s reduction recommendations established by the scientific community and the international politics through the IAVCEI and UNESCO, respectively, will be applied within the frame of this project. The volcanic emergency monitoring and management are the most useful actions to contribute to the reduction of volcanic risk in densely populated areas such as the Macaronesia region.

The project’s geographical intervention scope is the Macaronesia region, specifically, the archipelagos of Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde. In the Canary Islands, the activities will be carried out in Tenerife, La Palma, Lanzarote and El Hierro. In Cape Verde, these activities will be focused on the island of Fogo, and in Azores, in the island of Sao Miguel.

Specific objectives:

Specific objective 1: Strengthen the permanent instrumental networks (continuous recording) for the improvement of the volcanic surveillance programs in the Macaronesia

Specific objective 2: Strengthen the non-continuous geophysical, geochemical and geodesic recording programs for the improvement of the volcanic surveillance programs in the Macaronesia

Specific objective 3: Strengthen the crisis management and the response capacity against volcanic nature disasters and associated risks in the Macaronesia

Activities:

S.O.1: Strengthen the permanent instrumental networks (continuous recording) for the improvement of the volcanic surveillance programs in the Macaronesia

Activity 2.1.1. – Strengthening of the permanent instrumental geophysical network

Activity 2.1.2. – Strengthening of the permanent instrumental geochemical network

Activity 2.1.3. – Strengthening of the permanent instrumental geodesic network

S.O.2: Strengthen the non-continuous geophysical, geochemical and geodesic recording programs for the improvement of the volcanic surveillance programs in the Macaronesia

Activity 2.2.1. – Strengthening of the non-continuous geophysical recording program

Activity 2.2.2. – Strengthening of the non-continuous geochemical recording program

Activity 2.2.3. – Strengthening of the non-continuous geodesic recording program

S.O.3: Strengthen the crisis management and the response capacity against volcanic nature disasters and associated risks in the Macaronesia

Activity 2.3.1. – Development of early warning systems through the implementation of ICT

Activity 2.3.2. – Simulation and creation of eruptive scenarios

Activity 2.3.3. – Results dissemination and simulation exercises against potential eruptive scenarios workshops