US agencies donate equipment to monitor La Soufriere volcano

Two United States agencies recently donated new equipment to the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre which can aid in improving the seismic monitoring of La Soufriere Volcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

A statement from UWI said donated equipment will be used to build four seismic stations and radios to enhance communications on the island.

Three of the stations are solar powered installations with posthole seismometers, which are sensors designed for subsurface installation to optimise seismic performance while minimising the cost and logistics of site set-up. The fourth station is a spider seismometer – a device designed for rapid deployment in high risk locations where human exposure to hazards should be minimised such as volcanic craters.

The donations were made by the US Geological Survey and the US Agency for International Development Volcano Disaster Assistance Programme (VDAP) after receiving a request from the Seismic Centre following the effusive eruption in St Vincent on December 29, 2020.

In the event of escalated volcanic activity at La Soufriere, the enhanced monitoring should allow our scientists to alert authorities with sufficient time to activate appropriate emergency responses such as evacuations, the statement said.