Journal Articles
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/7915
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Item The communication of volcano information in New Zealand–a narrative review(Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2025-02-13) Das M; Becker JS; Doyle EEH; Charlton D; Clive MA; Krippner J; Vinnell LJ; Miller C; Stewart C; Gabrielsen H; Potter SH; Leonard GS; Johnston DM; Tapuke K; Fournier N; McBride SKCommunication of volcano information is critical for effective volcanic risk management. A variety of information is communicated to inform decisions and guide actions for planning, preparedness, and response. Such information needs to be reliable, and fit-for-purpose across different stages of volcanic activity (quiescence, unrest, short or long-term eruptive stages, and the post-eruptive stage). However, an understanding of communication across these different stages of volcanic activity remains limited. We undertook a narrative review of New Zealand literature to explore what information is communicated about volcanoes, across which stages of activity and by whom. Results highlight that NZ literature only documents certain aspects of volcano information and communication, specifically regarding certain locations, stages of volcanic activity (i.e. quiescence or unrest), or hazards. Literature gaps exist regarding volcano communication during unrest and post-eruptive stages, as well as how volcano information evolves between these phases, and how decision-makers use such information. Additional work would be useful to document existing examples of volcano information for different stages of activity. Further research could help in understanding the information needs of decision-makers during each of these stages to improve information and communication.Item A new volcanic multi-hazard impact model for water supply systems: Application at Taranaki Mounga, Aotearoa New Zealand(Elsevier B.V., 2024-12-24) Porter H; Wilson TM; Weir A; Stewart C; Craig HM; Wild AJ; Paulik R; Fairclough R; Buzzella MWater supply systems provide an essential service for society and are highly vulnerable to damage and disruption during volcanic eruptions. Impacts sustained by water supply systems during volcanic eruptions have resulted in prolonged and repeated supply outages. Previous approaches to assessing volcanic impacts to water supply systems have been relatively simplistic, based on hazard intensity thresholds, and only considering direct damage. There is a need for water supply risk assessment approaches informed by vulnerability models that consider the pivotal role of system design and indirect impacts; such as supply and demand fluctuations, personnel shortages, and disruptions to interdependent infrastructure networks. We present a whole-of-system volcanic vulnerability model and impact assessment framework for water supply systems that can be used to estimate system-wide impacts during future volcanic eruptions. This model is developed in collaboration with volcanic risk researchers and water supply engineers in Aotearoa New Zealand and applied to a case study in the Taranaki region for a long-duration and multi-hazard eruption scenario from the active stratovolcano Taranaki Mounga. The model provides an assessment of the functionality of water supply systems affected directly and indirectly by the scenario eruption, interdependent critical infrastructure services, and associated emergency management actions (e.g., evacuations). This scenario, and its modelled impacts, allows practitioners to explore potential mitigation and emergency response options. This framework can be applied in other volcanic contexts to assess impacts on water supplies from future eruptions, highlight key systemic vulnerabilities, and provide a basis for the prioritisation and implementation of risk management strategies.Item Rapid remote volcanic ashfall impact assessment for the 2022 eruption of Hunga volcano, Tonga: a bespoke approach and lessons identified(Springer Nature, 2024-10-28) Weir AM; Williams JH; Wilson TM; Hayes JL; Stewart C; Leonard GS; Magill C; Jenkins SF; Williams S; Craig HM; Kula T; Fraser S; Pomonis A; Gunasekera R; Daniell JE; Coultas EWhen disasters occur, rapid impact assessments are required to prioritise response actions, support in-country efforts and inform the mobilisation of aid. The 15 January 2022 eruption of Hunga volcano, Tonga, and the resulting atmospheric shockwave, ashfall, underwater mass disturbance and tsunami, caused substantial impacts across the Kingdom of Tonga. Volcanic impacts on the scale observed after the eruption are rare, necessitating a reliance on international advice and assistance. The situation was complicated by the loss of Tonga’s international submarine fibreoptic cable (causing a complete loss of communications for approximately 20 days) along with border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A need emerged for a rapid remote volcanic impact assessment and provision of specialist advice to help inform the response of international partners. Here we present a novel methodology for conducting rapid remote volcanic ashfall impact assessments, conducted over a 10-day period following the eruption. We used three different hazard models for ashfall thickness across the main island of Tongatapu and available asset information and vulnerability functions for buildings, agriculture, electricity networks, water supply and roads, to provide initial estimates of losses due to ashfall from the 15 January eruption. For buildings, we estimated losses both as total losses and as percentages of the total replacement cost of buildings on Tongatapu. For agriculture, we made probabilistic estimates of production losses for three different crop classes. For ashfall clean-up, we estimated ranges of ashfall volumes requiring clean-up from road surfaces and roofs. For water supply, electricity networks and roads, our analysis was limited to assessing the exposure of important assets to ashfall, as we had insufficient information on system configurations to take the analysis further. Key constraints on our analysis were the limited nature of critical infrastructure asset inventories and the lack of volcanic vulnerability models for tropical regions including Pacific Island nations. Key steps towards iteratively improving rapid remote impact assessments will include developing vulnerability functions for tropical environments as well as ground-truthing estimated losses from remote approaches against in-person impact assessment campaigns.Item Editorial: Women in science: volcanology 2022(Frontiers Media S.A., 2024-10-17) Moune S; Jenkins S; Stewart C; Schmidt A; Moune S; Jenkins S; Stewart C; Schmidt AItem Tephra fall impacts to buildings: the 2017–2018 Manaro Voui eruption, Vanuatu(Frontiers Media S.A., 2024-08-15) Jenkins SF; McSporran A; Wilson TM; Stewart C; Leonard G; Cevuard S; Garaebiti E; Varley NBuilding damage from tephra falls can have a substantial impact on exposed communities around erupting volcanoes. There are limited empirical studies of tephra fall impacts on buildings, with none on tephra falls impacting traditional thatched timber buildings, despite their prevalence across South Pacific island nations and parts of Asia. The 2017/2018 explosive eruption of Manaro Voui, Ambae Island, Vanuatu, resulted in damage to traditional (thatched timber), non-traditional (masonry), and hybrid buildings from tephra falls in March/April and July 2018. Field and photographic surveys were conducted across three separate field studies with building characteristics and damage recorded for a total of 589 buildings. Buildings were classified using a damage state framework customised for this study. Overall, increasing tephra thicknesses were related to increasing severity of building damage, corroborating previous damage surveys and vulnerability estimates. Traditional buildings were found to be less resistant to tephra loading than non-traditional buildings, although there was variation in resistance within each building type. For example, some traditional buildings collapsed under ∼40 mm thickness while others sustained no damage when exposed to >200 mm. We attribute this to differences in the pre-eruption condition of the building and the implementation of mitigation strategies. Mitigation strategies included covering thatched roofs with tarpaulins, which helped shed tephra and consequently reduced loading, and providing an internal prop to the main roof beam, which aided structural resistance. As is typical of post-event building damage surveys, we had limited time and access to the exposed communities, and we note the limitations this had for our findings. Our results contribute to the limited empirical data available for tephra fall building damage and can be used to calibrate existing fragility functions, improving our evidence base for forecasting future impacts for similar construction types globally.Item Creating a ‘planning emergency levels of service’ framework – a silver bullet, or something useful for target practice?(Elsevier B.V., 2023-06-01) Mowll R; Becker J; Wotherspoon L; Stewart C; Johnston D; Neely D‘Planning Emergency Levels of Service’ (PELOS) are service delivery goals for infrastructure providers during and after an emergency event. These goals could be delivered through the existing infrastructure (e.g., pipes, lines, cables), or through other means (trucked water or the provision of generators). This paper describes how an operationalised framework of PELOS for the Wellington region, New Zealand was created, alongside the key stakeholders. We undertook interviews and workshops with critical infrastructure entities to create the framework. Through this process we found five themes that informed the context and development of the PELOS framework: interdependencies between critical infrastructure, the need to consider the vulnerabilities of some community members, emergency planning considerations, stakeholders’ willingness to collaborate on this research/project and the flexibility/adaptability of the delivery of infrastructure services following a major event. These themes are all explored in this paper. This research finds that the understanding of the hazardscape and potential outages from hazards is critical and that co-ordination between key stakeholders is essential to create such a framework. This paper may be used to inform the production of PELOS frameworks in other localities.Item Impacts on water transport networks after three widespread volcanic ashfalls in Andean Patagonian lakes(Presses Universitaires de Strasbourg, 2023-07-18) Salgado PA; Villarosa G; Beigt D; Outes V; Stewart C; Barazini F; Hornby AAlthough the impacts of volcanic ashfall on air transport and land transport networks are well documented, little information exists about volcanic ash effects on water transport. Three recent widespread ashfall events severely affected the extensive shipping activity that takes place in the many lakes of Andean Patagonia, Argentina. By means of impact assessment fieldtrips, meetings, semi-structured interviews, and expert consultation, we surveyed and categorized impacts of volcanic ash on ships, ports and shipping activities, also assessing most effective mitigation strategies undertaken, including clean-up actions. To better catalogue type and severity of impacts, we expand on available damage scales developed for critical infrastructure, to include more specific details about water transport systems. Our contribution ultimately aims to communicate to emergency managers, and the volcanological and nautical communities, the most likely outcomes from explosive volcanic eruptions on shipping, along with best-practice advice for mitigating adverse effects.Item Physicochemical hazard assessment of ash and dome rock from the 2021 eruption of La Soufriere St Vincent for the assessment of respiratory impacts and water contamination(Geological Society of London, 2024-01-05) Horwell CJ; Damby DE; Stewart C; Joseph EP; Barclay J; Davies BV; Mangler MF; Marvin LG; Najorka J; Peek S; Tunstall NLa Soufrière, St Vincent, began an extrusive eruption on 27 December 2020. The lava dome was destroyed, along with much of the pre-existing 1979 dome, in explosive eruptions from 9 to 22 April 2021. Lava domes generate crystalline silica – inhalation of which can cause silicosis in occupational settings – which can become hazardous when dome material is incorporated into volcanic ash. La Soufrière ash (17 samples) was analysed, according to IVHHN protocols, to rapidly quantify crystalline silica and test for other health-relevant properties. The basaltic andesitic ash contained <5 wt% crystalline silica, which agrees with previous analyses of ash of similar compositions and mirrors the low quantities measured in dome samples (2 area %). It contained substantial inhalable material (7–21 vol% <10 µm). Few fibre-like particles were observed, reducing concern about particle shape. Leaching assays found low concentrations of potentially toxic elements, which indicates low potential to impact health, contaminate drinking-water sources or harm grazing animals through ingestion. Collectively, these data indicate that the primary health concern from this eruption was the potential for fine-grained ash to increase ambient particulate matter, an environmental risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Precautionary measures were advised to minimize exposure.Item The International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN): reflections on 20 years of progress(Frontiers Media S.A., 2023-08-17) Horwell CJ; Baxter PJ; Damby DE; Elias T; Ilyinskaya E; Sparks RSJ; Stewart C; Tomašek I; Viccaro MItem A new mapping tool to visualise critical infrastructure levels of service following a major earthquake(Elsevier B.V., 2024-01) Mowll R; Anderson MJ; Logan TM; Becker JS; Wotherspoon LM; Stewart C; Johnston D; Neely DHow can emergency management teams communicate to potentially impacted communities what a major event causing infrastructure outages might mean for them, and what they can do to prepare? In this paper we describe the process of creating a webtool for end users to visualise infrastructure outages that the Wellington region of New Zealand would face following a rupture of the Wellington fault. This webtool creates insight for three key groups: critical infrastructure owners, communities, and the emergency management sector itself. Critical infrastructure entities can use the tool to understand where they might consider infrastructure upgrades to mitigate gaps of delivery following a fault rupture, and to consider their emergency response plans for delivery in an emergency (leading to their consideration of ‘planning emergency levels of service’). Communities can use the tool to understand what infrastructure outages will mean at the household level in an emergency, including the considerable distances that some community members will have to walk to access services such as food and water and prepare for prolonged outages. Finally, with a greater knowledge of the gaps in delivery and of those community members that might need assistance with food and water collection, the emergency management sector can be better prepared. The methodology for creating the webtool is described, along with the insights that the completed webtool provides for emergency planning.