Volcano monitoring in Latin America: taking a step forward

PABLO FORTE; LIZZETTE RODRIGUEZ; MARIANA PATRICIA JACOME PAZ; LIZETH CABALLERO GARCÍA; YEMERITH ALPIZAR SEGURA; EMILCE BUSTOS; CONSTANZA PERALES; EVELING ESPINOZA; SILVIA VALLEJO; MARIANO AGUSTO

Volcanica

Volcanica

Año: 2021 vol. 4

Monitoring the state of active volcanoes is the foundational component of volcanic risk reduction strategies. To a large extent, these responsibilities rest with volcano observatories. Based on the 11 Reports that constitute this Special Issue ?Volcano Observatories in Latin America? we provide a comprehensive overview of the work that has been carried out by the observatories in Latin America, a region in which tens of millions of people are exposed to volcanic activity. Since the first steps taken in the 1980s, volcano observatories of the region have made significant progress in assessing and monitoring volcanic activity. Currently, 17 institutions officially contribute to monitoring 135 volcanoes in 10 countries. Along with the improvements in the instrumental, technical, and operational capabilities, advancements have been made in long-term hazard assessment and hazard communication. But despite all the progress accomplished, several challenges and limiting factors still remain, such as the lack of financial resources and training opportunities. Efforts should be focused on increasing the number and quality of monitoring networks.