DEVORADetermining Volcanic Risk in Auckland

Overview

Led by volcanologists at GNS Science and the University of Auckland, Determining Volcanic Risk in Auckland (DEVORA) is a collaborative programme involving a wide variety of organisations and researchers, including Auckland Council, the Earthquake Commission and Auckland Emergency Management.

The project

Auckland's volcanic landscape

Within the DEVORA programme, we are gathering data to explain how, why, how often and how fast magma moves to the surface in the Auckland Volcanic Field. Our interdisciplinary research spans the fields of Earth, Geophysics, Social, Hazard and Risk science.

Here are some examples of our research:

• we use cores from maar craters in our volcanoes to refine estimates of eruption frequency
• we study the mantle and crustal dynamics that control the scale of local eruptions
• we estimate the volume of and speed of magma rise and eruption
• we study improvements in how we might monitor our volcanic field, such as integrating our seismic sensors into the GeoNet platform
• we study the impacts of possible future eruptions and mitigation strategies that can improve planning and resilience

Response and recovery

Knowing the likely hazards associated with a future eruption enables us to determine potential impacts. Assigning a probability to these impacts is a way of expressing volcanic risk. From this, we are able to design disaster scenarios. These scenarios allow us to plan emergency responses (like evacuation plans) and make land use and economic recovery plans.

For example, post-eruption recovery will require mitigating the damage caused by volcanic ash (tephra). Tephra settling on paved surfaces poses a major road safety hazard. We have modelled the potential impact of tephra deposits on transport infrastructure and network users and how tephra can lower the skid resistance of road asphalt and airfield concrete. We have also modelled the clean-up requirements in urban environments under different scenarios.

Communication and education

A major aim of DEVORA is to communicate our science effectively. We publish our findings regularly in reports and peer-reviewed journals and host the annual DEVORA Forum, which brings together research and stakeholder organizations to discuss the latest Auckland Volcanic Field research.

To communicate with the public, we conduct surveys to identify key gaps in public knowledge and preparedness. We develop fact sheets and information resources. We use role-play to teach crisis communication, eruption forecasting and volcanic hazard and emergency management concepts.

To communicate with students, our outreach team regularly visits community groups, schools and STEM fairs. We engage with students through hands-on activities and experiments. We also have a collection of freely available resources for schools and teachers, including experiment manuals and printable fact sheets.