Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues

Probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment (PVHA) has become the paradigm to quantify volcanic hazard over the last decades. Substantial aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in PVHA arise from complexity of physico-chemical processes, impossibility of their direct observation and, importantly, a sever...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pablo Tierz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Earth Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00257/full
_version_ 1798043871406456832
author Pablo Tierz
author_facet Pablo Tierz
author_sort Pablo Tierz
collection DOAJ
description Probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment (PVHA) has become the paradigm to quantify volcanic hazard over the last decades. Substantial aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in PVHA arise from complexity of physico-chemical processes, impossibility of their direct observation and, importantly, a severe scarcity of observables from past eruptions. One factor responsible for data scarcity is the infrequency of moderate/large eruptions; other factors include lack of discoverability and accessibility to volcanological data. Open-access databases can help alleviate data scarcity and have significantly contributed to long-term PVHA of eruption onset and size, while are less common for data required in other PVHA components (e.g., vent opening). Making datasets open is complicated by economical, technological, ethical and/or policy-related challenges. International synergies (e.g., Global Volcanism Program, WOVOdat, Global Volcano Model, EPOS) will be key to facilitate the creation and maintenance of open-access databases that support Next-Generation PVHA. Additionally, clarification of some misconceptions about PVHA can also help progress. Firstly, PVHA should be understood as an expansion of deterministic, scenario-based hazard assessments. Secondly, a successful PVHA should sometimes be evaluated by its ability to deliver useful and usable hazard-related messages that help mitigate volcanic risk. Thirdly, PVHA is not simply an end product but a driver for research: identifying the most relevant sources of epistemic uncertainty can guide future efforts to reduce the overall uncertainty. Broadening of the volcanological community expertise to statistics or engineering has already brought major breakthroughs in long-term PVHA. A vital next step is developing and maintaining more open-access datasets that support PVHA worldwide.
first_indexed 2024-04-11T22:55:07Z
format Article
id doaj.art-17464ada63c74dbf857946ff0ef61c6f
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2296-6463
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-11T22:55:07Z
publishDate 2020-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Earth Science
spelling doaj.art-17464ada63c74dbf857946ff0ef61c6f2022-12-22T03:58:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632020-07-01810.3389/feart.2020.00257518023Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current IssuesPablo TierzProbabilistic volcanic hazard assessment (PVHA) has become the paradigm to quantify volcanic hazard over the last decades. Substantial aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in PVHA arise from complexity of physico-chemical processes, impossibility of their direct observation and, importantly, a severe scarcity of observables from past eruptions. One factor responsible for data scarcity is the infrequency of moderate/large eruptions; other factors include lack of discoverability and accessibility to volcanological data. Open-access databases can help alleviate data scarcity and have significantly contributed to long-term PVHA of eruption onset and size, while are less common for data required in other PVHA components (e.g., vent opening). Making datasets open is complicated by economical, technological, ethical and/or policy-related challenges. International synergies (e.g., Global Volcanism Program, WOVOdat, Global Volcano Model, EPOS) will be key to facilitate the creation and maintenance of open-access databases that support Next-Generation PVHA. Additionally, clarification of some misconceptions about PVHA can also help progress. Firstly, PVHA should be understood as an expansion of deterministic, scenario-based hazard assessments. Secondly, a successful PVHA should sometimes be evaluated by its ability to deliver useful and usable hazard-related messages that help mitigate volcanic risk. Thirdly, PVHA is not simply an end product but a driver for research: identifying the most relevant sources of epistemic uncertainty can guide future efforts to reduce the overall uncertainty. Broadening of the volcanological community expertise to statistics or engineering has already brought major breakthroughs in long-term PVHA. A vital next step is developing and maintaining more open-access datasets that support PVHA worldwide.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00257/fullprobabilistic volcanic hazard assessmentuncertainty quantificationdata scarcityopen dataglobal databases
spellingShingle Pablo Tierz
Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
Frontiers in Earth Science
probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment
uncertainty quantification
data scarcity
open data
global databases
title Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
title_full Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
title_fullStr Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
title_full_unstemmed Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
title_short Long-Term Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment Using Open and Non-open Data: Observations and Current Issues
title_sort long term probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment using open and non open data observations and current issues
topic probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment
uncertainty quantification
data scarcity
open data
global databases
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00257/full
work_keys_str_mv AT pablotierz longtermprobabilisticvolcanichazardassessmentusingopenandnonopendataobservationsandcurrentissues