Welcome to Meredith's GIS mitigation of Volcanic Hazards site!  

Go to the Annotated Bibliography    Volcano Pics     Cool Volcano Links    Cool GIS Links    See my CV!

This site was constructed as a term project for a Geographic Information Systems & Science class (GEO 565 at Oregon State University).  The objective of the project was to explore the ways in which GIS is currently being implemented in a field of the student's choice through the construction of an annotated bibliography.  I am a student of geology with interests in the utilization of GIS in the field of geologic hazard mitigation.  When I explored the references available (using the ISI Web of Science http://isiknowledge.com), I realized that the greatest number of references pertained specifically to the use of GIS in the field of volcanology.  Hence, I have constructed an annotated bibliography of recent papers (< 10 years old) focusing on the employment of GIS techniques in the field of volcanology, emphasizing the contributions of the works towards volcano hazard mitigation.  Enjoy!

The importance of GIS

Why should GIS be an integral part of volcanic hazard studies?

It has been estimated that nearly 20% of the world's population live in volcano hazard zones.  Here in the Pacific Northwest we are especially aware of what life can be like living in the shadow of an active volcanic arc.  As population grows and development expands from optimal into less desirable locations, it is important to plan carefully and effectively for the impending growth within volcanic hazard zones.  With GIS mapping of past lava flows, lahar and ash flow pathways, ash fall coverage, we can conjecture which areas could be affected by future volcanic events.  By superimposing the volcanic hazard areas on developed regions, water pathways, and other critical natural and infrastructure elements in a spatially correlated project, GIS provides an incomparable dataset with which to make informed decisions with regards to development, preparation, and emergency planning necessary for safe and sage cohabitation with volcanic forces.

 

Active volcanoes I've visited:

Mt. Saint Helens, Washington

Sunset Crater, Arizona: November 2002

(last erupted 1064 AD)

Kilauea Caldera, January 2003

 

 

 

 

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (click on the individual reference to see its abstract and annotation)

Astorri, F., S.E. Beaubien, G. Ciotoli, and S. Lombardi, An assessment of gas emanation hazard using a geographic information system and geostatistics, Health Physics, 82 (3), 358-366, 2002.

Bukumirovic, T., F. Italiano, and P.M. Nuccio, The evolution of a dynamic geological system: the support of a GIS for geochemical measurements at the fumarole field of Vulcano, Italy, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 79 (3-4), 253-263, 1997.

Burt, M.L., G. Wadge, and R.N. Curnow, An objective method for mapping hazardous flow deposits from the stratigraphic record of stratovolcanoes: a case example from Montagne Pelee, Bulletin of Volcanology, 63 (2-3), 98-111, 2001.

Byrnes, J.M., and D.A. Crown, Relationships between pahoehoe surface units, topography, and lava tubes at Mauna Ulu, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 106 (B2), 2139-2151, 2001.

Canuti, P., N. Casagli, F. Catani, and G. Falorni, Modeling of the Guagua Pichincha volcano (Ecuador) lahars, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 27 (36), 1587-1599, 2002.

Frattini, P., G.B. Crosta, N. Fusi, and P. Dal Negro, Shallow landslides in pyroclastic soils: a distributed modelling approach for hazard assessment, Engineering Geology, 73 (3-4), 277-295, 2004.

Gaspar, J.L., C. Goulart, G. Queiroz, D. Silveira, and A. Gomes, Dynamic structure and data sets of a GIS database for geological risk analysis in the Azores volcanic islands, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 4 (2), 233-242, 2004.

Gomez-Fernandez, F., Application of a GIS algorithm to delimit the areas protected against basic lava flow invasion on Tenerife Island, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 103 (1-4), 409-423, 2000.

Iverson, R.M., S.P. Schilling, and J.W. Vallance, Objective delineation of lahar-inundation hazard zones, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 110 (8), 972-984, 1998.

Renschler, C.S., Scales and uncertainties in using models and GIS for volcano hazard prediction, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 139 (1-2), 73-87, 2005.

Questions? Comments? Email me at: paynem@onid.orst.edu

To see my Annotated Bibliography of Bathymetry-deriving techniques click here ®