5:15 PM - 7:15 PM
[SVC31-P06] The residential evacuation and disaster mitigation responses to recent lava flow-driven volcanic eruptions
Keywords:Chronological record of eruptions, early warning system, volcanic alert-level system
Historically, several lava flow eruptions have occurred on Mt. Fuji, including the Enryaku eruption (800-802 AD) and the Jogan eruption (864-866 AD). It is crucial to consider the possibility of a lava flow event when preparing a mitigation plan for future eruptions at Mt. Fuji. Lava flow response measures and evacuation strategies for Mt. Fuji have been incorporated into the revisions of the Mt. Fuji Hazard Map (2021) and the Mt. Fuji Volcanic Evacuation Basic Plan (2023), and individual evacuation plans for municipalities are currently being developed.
In this paper, recent lava flow eruptions that affected residential areas, such as Kilauea volcano (Hawaii, USA) in 2018, Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Spain) in 2021, Nyiragongo volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 2021, and Reykjanes peninsula (Iceland) in 2023, were compared to consider effective evacuation measures for potential lava flows at Mt. Fuji in the future. Based on these four cases, the course of volcanic activity, monitoring and observation, actions of disaster prevention response organisations and the timing of evacuation from residential areas were chronologically organised and effective approaches to disaster prevention response and evacuation of residents in the event of a lava flow eruption were considered.
Three of these volcanic regions have an eruption warning system equivalent to Japan's: the United States' Volcano Alert Level System, Spain's Semaforo Volcanico, and Iceland's Civil Protection Emergency Levels/Phases. Authorities in these regions use websites, social media and local media to inform residents, identifying target areas and districts even before eruptions occur. In Nyiragongo, however, monitoring and surveillance were inadequate and no eruption warning levels had been introduced.
In all the eruptions studied, new craters were formed at the base of the volcanoes or in surrounding volcanic areas, rather than at existing craters, and lava flows were produced. The number of people evacuated on the day of the eruption varied considerably: about 3,000 for Kilauea, 5,000 for Cumbre Vieja, 3,700 for Reykjanes and 30,000 for Nyiragongo.
The examples of lava flow eruptions that we have compared this time show that even when monitoring, observation and eruption warning systems are in place, there are cases where it is difficult to identify the location of the eruption in the crater. For this reason, it is pointed out that it is necessary to detect surface deformation and other changes quickly in order to initiate evacuation behaviour. In addition, there are areas around Mt. Fuji with a population density of several hundred people per km2, and in the event of an eruption, there is a possibility that the evacuation mission will be in an area with a higher population density than Kilauea or Cumbre Vieja.
In this paper, recent lava flow eruptions that affected residential areas, such as Kilauea volcano (Hawaii, USA) in 2018, Cumbre Vieja volcano (La Palma, Spain) in 2021, Nyiragongo volcano (Democratic Republic of Congo) in 2021, and Reykjanes peninsula (Iceland) in 2023, were compared to consider effective evacuation measures for potential lava flows at Mt. Fuji in the future. Based on these four cases, the course of volcanic activity, monitoring and observation, actions of disaster prevention response organisations and the timing of evacuation from residential areas were chronologically organised and effective approaches to disaster prevention response and evacuation of residents in the event of a lava flow eruption were considered.
Three of these volcanic regions have an eruption warning system equivalent to Japan's: the United States' Volcano Alert Level System, Spain's Semaforo Volcanico, and Iceland's Civil Protection Emergency Levels/Phases. Authorities in these regions use websites, social media and local media to inform residents, identifying target areas and districts even before eruptions occur. In Nyiragongo, however, monitoring and surveillance were inadequate and no eruption warning levels had been introduced.
In all the eruptions studied, new craters were formed at the base of the volcanoes or in surrounding volcanic areas, rather than at existing craters, and lava flows were produced. The number of people evacuated on the day of the eruption varied considerably: about 3,000 for Kilauea, 5,000 for Cumbre Vieja, 3,700 for Reykjanes and 30,000 for Nyiragongo.
The examples of lava flow eruptions that we have compared this time show that even when monitoring, observation and eruption warning systems are in place, there are cases where it is difficult to identify the location of the eruption in the crater. For this reason, it is pointed out that it is necessary to detect surface deformation and other changes quickly in order to initiate evacuation behaviour. In addition, there are areas around Mt. Fuji with a population density of several hundred people per km2, and in the event of an eruption, there is a possibility that the evacuation mission will be in an area with a higher population density than Kilauea or Cumbre Vieja.