EUROVOLC CITIZEN-science tool
FEATURES
During the European Commission-funded project EUROVOLC 1 , our team has created an interactive webpage to collect citizen-science observations of volcanic events , and to visualise , map and download previously collected data .
This was done with two overarching aims : firstly , we believe that such a tool can involve the general public , greatly helping raise awareness on volcanic hazard and risk . Secondly , the information collected could provide valuable evidence for scientific purposes such as mapping of the eruption impact , or evaluation of model performances . In this article , we tell the story of the EUROVOLC citizen science tool ( https :// eurovolc . bgs . ac . uk /), which built upon existing citizen-science tools , which had been sparsely developed by different institutions across Europe .
Volcanic events : when nature crosses national borders
The rapid and unpredictable evolution of volcanic events , such as eruptions or unrest phases , may demand quick access to geo-referenced information on the dispersal of volcanic products , such as irritant or toxic gas species or volcanic ash ( technically termed tephra ), which can affect inhabited areas across different countries . In Europe , this became evident in the spring of 2010 , when the volcanic tephra from the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull affected much of the continent , in effect one of the most congested airspace in the world , causing a massive disruption of flight connection for weeks across the world .
Citizen science in volcanology
Citizen science is where members of the public partake in collection and / or analysis of data .
Since the introduction of the internet and smartphones , citizen-sourced observations of volcanic events have become not only possible but also a potentially very valuable tool . Information from people witnessing a volcanic event ( e . g ., the fallout of volcanic tephra , the sight of a volcanic plume , the smell of volcanic gas , felt earthquakes in a volcanic area , audible explosions ) may be collected via user-friendly web pages or apps . Firstly , this type of information can be useful for assessing , in a qualitative way , the extent and the impact of the volcanic event . For example , it can identify the spatial extent of volcanic products in a specific event , or it can provide valuable clues to constrain its scale in terms of total erupted mass . Secondly , it could provide valuable evidence for model benchmarking and calibration . Finally , citizen science may represent an effective means to raise awareness on natural risks among citizens ( Mee and Duncan , 2015 ).
In the recent past , building on the experience from earthquakes , and prompted by the trans-national effects of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in Iceland , various European research groups have built tools , such
◀ FIG . 1 : Different existing citizenscience services sparse across Europe before Eurovolc , and the common information they were all already storing ( red text )
1 https :// eurovolc . eu
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