Effusive crises at Piton de la Fournaise 2014–2015: a review of a multi-national response model
Review article, 2017

Many active European volcanoes and volcano observatories are island-based and located far from their administrative “mainland”. Consequently, Governments have developed multisite approaches, in which monitoring is performed by a network of individuals distributed across several national research centers. At a transnational level, multinational networks are also progressively emerging. Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion Island, France) is one such example. Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes of the World, and is located at the greatest distance from its “mainland” than any other vulnerable “overseas” site, the observatory being 9365 km from its governing body in Paris. Effusive risk is high, so that a well-coordinated and rapid response involving near-real time delivery of trusted, validated and operational product for hazard assessment is critical. Here we review how near-real time assessments of lava flow propagation were developed using rapid provision, and update, of key source terms through a dynamic and open integration of near-real time remote sensing, modeling and measurement capabilities on both the national and international level. The multi-national system evolved during the five effusive crises of 2014–2015, and is now mature for Piton de la Fournaise. This review allows us to identify strong and weak points in an extended observatory system, and demonstrates that enhanced multi-national integration can have fundamental implications in scientific hazard assessment and response during an on-going effusive crisis.

Volcano observatory

Hazard response

Inundation forecasts

Effusive crisis

Lava flow model

Time averaged discharge rates

Piton de la Fournaise

Author

A. J L Harris

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

Clermont Auvergne University

N. Villeneuve

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

A. Di Muro

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

V. Ferrazzini

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

A. Peltier

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

D. Coppola

University of Turin

M. Favalli

National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology

P. Bachèlery

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

Clermont Auvergne University

J. L. Froger

Clermont Auvergne University

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

L. Gurioli

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

Clermont Auvergne University

S. Moune

Clermont Auvergne University

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

I. Vlastélic

Observatoire de Physique du Globe Clermont Ferrand (OPGC)

Clermont Auvergne University

Bo Galle

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Optical Remote Sensing

Santiago Arellano

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Optical Remote Sensing

Journal of Applied Volcanology

2191-5040 (eISSN)

Vol. 6 1 11

Subject Categories

Physical Sciences

DOI

10.1186/s13617-017-0062-9

More information

Latest update

7/8/2021 1