Deligne, N.I.; Leonard, G.S.; Jolly, A.D.; Christenson, B.W.; Hamling, I.J.; Hreinsdottir, S.; Mazot, A.; Miller, C.A.; Roberts, R.; van Wijk, K. 2019 DEVORA novel monitoring techniques workshop, 25 October 2018. Lower Hutt, N.Z.: GNS Science. GNS Science report 2019/21. 50 p.; doi: 10.21420/GMZJ-J453
Abstract:
Auckland, New Zealand, home to a third of New Zealanders, is built on top of the Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF): a mostly monogenetic field of 53 known volcanic vents. The personal, societal, and economic cost of a future AVF eruption are likely substantial, depending on location and crisis response and recovery actions. Estimates of the duration of detectable unrest in the leadup to an AVF eruption range from hours to weeks or longer. Volcano monitoring is globally the proven approach to detecting volcanic unrest, and as such AVF volcano monitoring is critical for detection as early as possible to implement crisis response plans. The Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) is a multi-agency, transdisciplinary collaborative research programme led by the University of Auckland and GNS Science and funded by the Earthquake Commission and Auckland Council. DEVORA facilitates and supports research towards a much-improved assessment of volcanic hazard and risk in the Auckland metropolitan area, and supports the strategy and rationale for appropriate risk mitigation. Following a decade of focused research on the AVF, with concurrent development in national and international volcano monitoring capabilities, Auckland Council requested that DEVORA organize a workshop to identify and explore novel monitoring techniques, some of which might, through further research, development, and validation, lead to earlier detection of AVF unrest and decreased uncertainty in confirming unrest and likely future activity. Novel in this context means techniques that are not presently established as operational for AVF monitoring. Auckland Council instructed that cost considerations be disregarded, as the participants were not in a position to undertaker cost-benefit analysis for Auckland. The purpose here was to explore the potential benefit cases for novel techniques. The DEVORA novel monitoring techniques workshop was held on 25 October 2018 as part of the annual DEVORA forum; this report summarises workshop findings. The body of the report is technical, containing specifics relevant to the science community who are encouraged to explore promising techniques. We stress that this is a research opportunities scoping workshop report – suggested network configurations are based on expert judgement during the workshop, and not on detailed network design studies. This report is not an endorsement of any particular approach explored in the workshop, for that further research and testing is required to demonstrate the approach is viable. Additionally, while this report is focused on Auckland, the majority of monitoring approaches summarised here are transferable to other volcanoes. The next steps will be to rate the techniques explored here to guide research priorities for further investigation. (auth)
