The International Workshop on Oceanic Island Volcanoes & Society: El Hierro 2012  is an international volcano meeting for commemorating the 1st anniversary of the 2011-12 submarine eruption off the southern coast of El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain). This workshop is planned as an international forum for specialists working on active volcanic islands to discuss about reducing volcanic risk. Many oceanic and active volcanic islands are facing higher levels of vulnerability and exposure to more risk because of increasing population. Therefore, island communities need to conduct a systematic program for volcanic islands by assessing the risk of future volcanic activity and its effects as well as implementing all the recommended actions for reducing volcanic risk.

 

Scientific and technical discussions will be mainly related to volcanic risk management on oceanic and active island volcanoes as well as to enhance know-how exchange to understand and improve the multi-disciplinary initiatives for reducing volcanic risk in islands. A special session of this workshop will be related to the 2011-12 submarine eruption off the southern coast of El Hierro and its impact on the island community. The International Workshop on Oceanic Island Volcanoes & Society: El Hierro 2012 will be also an ideal forum to discuss about the plus side of living in active volcanoes since the short-term hazards posed by volcanoes are strongly balanced by benefits of volcanism over geologic time. Volcanoes are becoming very popular worldwide because of the beauty of their landscapes, the possibility to experience closely the force of nature and the cultural wealth of the communities living on volcanoes. Therefore, an additional special session on this workshop will be related to volcano tourism since the economies of many volcanic islands in the world are underpinned by tourism.

 

This international workshop will take place at El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) from October 10-15, 2012, and is co-organized by the Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables, ITER (Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain), the Laboratório de Engenharia Civil de Cabo Verde (LEC), the Universidade de Cabo Verde (Uni-CV), and the Serviço Nacional de Protecção Civil (SNPC) from Cape Verde under the framework of the project “Strengthening the capacities of R+D+i+d to contribute reducing volcanic risk in the Macaronesia (MAC/3/C161)” which is co-financed by EU Transnational Cooperation Program Madeira-Canarias-Azores (MAC 2007-2013). Several institutions and organizations such as the Government of de Canary Islands, Cabildo Insular de El Hierro, Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN), University of La Laguna (ULL), University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Spanish Volcanological Society (SVE) and the Canary Islands Association of Volcanology (AVCAN) are planning to collaborate with the International Workshop on Oceanic Island Volcanoes & Society: El Hierro 2012.

 

The organization will attempt to secure partial funding for scientists from developing countries and for graduate students. The 1st circular of the International Workshop on Oceanic Island Volcanoes & Society: El Hierro 2012 will be issued on April 25th, 2012. For additional information, please send an e-mail to makavol_2012_elhierro@iter.es

 

 

 

Scientific and Organizing Commitee:

 

Nemesio M. Pérez, Instituto Tecnológico y de Energías Renovables (ITER)

 

Sónia Silva, Universidade de Cabo Verde (UNICV)

 

Zuleyka Bandomo, , Laboratório de Engenharia Civil de Cabo Verde (LEC)

 

Osvaldino Costa, Serviço Nacional de Protecção Civil (SNPC) de Cabo Verde

 

David Calvo, Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (INVOLCAN)

 

Carmen Romero, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)

 

José Antonio Rodríguez Losada, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)

 

Alberto Brito, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)

 

Melchor González Dávila, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)

 

Magdalena Santana Casiano, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)

 

Jesús Ibáñez Godoy, Universidad de Granada (UGR)

 

Luís González de Vallejo, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

 

Juan Acosta Yepes, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO)

 

Eugenio Fraile, Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO)

 

Mercedes Ferrer, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME)

 

Ramón Ortiz, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

 

Zilda França, Universidade dos Açores, Portugal

 

Victor Forjaz, Observatório Vulcanológico e Geotérmico dos Açores (OVGA), Portugal

 

J. Manuel Hernández del Pino, Protección Civil y Emergencias (GOBESP)

 

Jorge Serra Llopart, Unidad Militar de Emergencias (UME)

 

Humberto Gutiérrez, D. G. Seguridad y Emergencias (GOBCAN)

 

Ana Vidal González, D. G. Seguridad y Emergencias (GOBCAN)

 

Alexis Ramos, Coordinador CECOI El Hierro (GOBCAN)

 

Joséfina Navarro, Cabildo Insular de El Hierro

 

Raúl Alamo, Cabildo Insular de El Hierro

 

Elena González Cárdenas, Sociedad Volcanológica de España (SVE)

 

Fernándo Raja, Asociación Volcanológica de Canarias (AVCAN)

 

 

 

Tentative schedule:

 

Wednesday, 10 October: participants arrive in El Hierro, Canary Islands

 

Thursday, 11 October: workshop sessions

 

Friday, 12 October: workshop sessions

 

Saturday, 13 October: El Hierro fieldtrips

 

Sunday,14 October: workshop sessions

 

Monday, 15 October: participants return home