The United States has 65 active and potentially active volcanoes. During the
twentieth century, volcanic eruptions in Alaska, California, Hawaii, and
Washington have devastated thousands of square miles of land and caused
substantial economic and societal disruption and, in the worst instances, loss of
life. The Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) seeks to lessen the harmful
impacts of volcanic activity by monitoring active and potentially active
volcanoes, assessing their hazards, responding to volcanic crises, and conducting
research on how volcanoes work. To fulfill a Congressional mandata (P.L.93-288)
that the USGS issue "timely warnings" of potential geologic hazards to
responsible emergency-management authorities and the populace affected, the VHP
strives to obtain the best possible scientific information about volcanic hazards
and to communicate it effectively to the authorities and the public in an
appropriate and understandable form.
-- Volcano Hazards Program's Five-Year Science Plan, 1998 to 2002, July 1997 |