The Montserrat Volcano Observatory Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Volcano with Big Conference in July

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory, which was established to monitor the volcano, will be commemorating the anniversary with a five-day conference July 20 – 24, 2020.

The conference will look at the science and the social impacts of the eruptions on both the community of Montserrat and the international community of scientists studying volcanoes and disaster risk reduction in the last 25 years.

The theme for the conference is “Opportunities from Disaster: Lessons from 25 years living with the volcano,” with a view to not only discuss what has happened in the past but look towards the future of living with the volcano. 

Four field trips exploring the geology and impacts of the eruption and life on a small volcanic island in the Caribbean are also included in the packed programme.

Abstracts are still being accepted until March 31, for the four symposiums at the conference. 

Symposium 1 – Science into Disaster Risk Reduction will focus on the physical sciences such as physical volcanology, geophysics, geochemistry and petrology.

Organisers are also seeking contributions highlighting the practical implementation of science for disaster risk reduction such as developments in hazard mapping and event trees that support decision making and foster a prepared populace together with rational development strategies in multi-hazard environments.  

Symposium 2 – Learning from the Past will explore how geological and archeological history, as well memories can play a role in promoting education for future generations. Contributions that demonstrate lessons from Montserrat and the wider Caribbean are particularly welcome. 

Symposium 3 – Cultures of Communication is to look at how technology and information sharing has played a role in how the MVO has evolved from 1995.

Symposium 4 – covers Resources for future resilience.