The four North Atlantic archipelagos that comprise Macaronesia – the Azores and Madeira in Portugal, the Canary Islands in Spain and the African nation of Cape Verde – face an increasing risk from volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which are the region’s main natural hazard. The VOLRISKMAC project is strengthening research, development and innovation in the islands to improve monitoring of volcanic and seismic activity.
- 06 March 2019
We have purchased 15 broadband seismic stations thanks to the VOLRISKMAC project. So the seismic network will go from having 15 to 30 broadband stations that will be deployed to strengthen seismic monitoring for volcanic surveillance purposes in Tenerife and La Palma, which will have 21 and five permanent stations, respectively. The remaining stations will be deployed in Gran Canaria, La Gomera, El Hierro and Lanzarote.
Key elements in VOLRISKMAC are bolstering early warning systems for eruptions and earthquakes, and preparation for natural disasters with enhanced crisis management capabilities.
As a result of the project, monitoring networks for 10 active Macaronesian volcanoes will be strengthened, while 37 permanent volcano monitoring stations are being set up. In addition, five new portable volcano monitoring instruments have been acquired.
Increasing risks
Macaronesia has many densely populated areas. Increases in the region’s population allied to rapid socioeconomic development have exacerbated risks from volcanic eruptions and associated hazards, which are greater now than they were 50 years ago. As these trends are set to continue, it is likely that volcanic risk will be higher still in 2050.
VOLRISKMAC applies the recommendations established by the scientific community within the framework of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. These identify surveillance and emergency management as the most appropriate actions for reducing volcanic risk. The areas of intervention are the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, Lanzarote and El Hierro in the Canaries, São Miguel in the Azores and Fogo in Cape Verde.
Stronger instrumental networks
The project reinforces both the permanent and non-permanent instrumental networks used to improve volcanic monitoring programmes. These networks focus on geophysical, geochemical and geodetic phenomena that could influence volcanic activity. The latter refers to the Earth’s geometric shape, orientation in space and gravitational field, and how these change over time.
Work on strengthening crisis preparation and response capacity covers development of early warning systems based on information and communication technologies, the performance of drills and software-based simulations of eruptions. This final element helps quantify the susceptibility of particular areas of Macaronesia to volcanic eruptions. It takes account of dangers such as ash ejected by volcanoes, which can cause major disruption to air traffic, thereby having a significant negative economic impact on regions where tourism is of considerable importance.
The simulations have been displayed and the results of the project disseminated at a series of workshops. VOLRISKMAC has been presented at 19 international meetings. Furthermore, thanks to the project, eight research fellowships on volcano monitoring have been undertaken and two scientific papers have been published.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “VOLRISKMAC – Strengthening R&D&I capacities for the monitoring of volcanic activity in Macaronesia” is EUR 1 590 032, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 351 527 through the “Interreg V-A - Spain-Portugal (Madeira-Açores-Canarias (MAC))” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Broadening and improving cross-border capacities in research, development and innovation”.