The overall objectives of the Volcano Hazards Program are to advance the scientific understanding of volcanic processes and to lessen the harmful impacts of volcanic activity. Thus, in addition to obtaining the best possible scientific information, the program works to effectively communicate its scientific findings to authorities and the public in an appropriate and understandable form. Volcano Hazards Assessments Volcano Crisis Response Topical Investigations of Volcanic Processes Scientific Outreach and Information Dissemination Volcano Monitoring Data collected by volcano-monitoring networks make possible the early detection of volcanic unrest and are indispensable for interpreting volcanic processes, forecasting eruptions, and predicting likely impacts of eruptions. Monitoring contains an inherent research component by providing fundamental observations and measurements essential to develop and test models of volcanic processes and to improve monitoring methods. The record of past eruptions, interpreted from geologic mapping and dating of a volcano's deposits, provides the only practical guide to most likely future hazards and the frequency of their recurrence.
Hydrological factors can strongly influence the nature of volcanic hazards.
Accordingly, a comprehensive volcanic hazard assessment incorporates information about a volcano's hydrological regime. Since 1980, the Volcano Hazards Program has responded to more than two dozen volcanic-related emergencies in the United States and other countries. The Volcano Hazards Program utilizes many tools from seismology, geophysics, geochemistry, field geology, and hydrology to acquire fundamental knowledge about how volcanoes work. Furthermore, the diverse character of volcanic eruptions is determined not only by the processes taking place in magmatic systems at depth, but also by near-surface and surficial hydrologic processes before, during, and after eruptions. The Volcano Hazards Program seeks a better understanding of what happens when shallow ground and surface water interact with magma and eruptive products and of the dynamics of lahars and debris avalanches at volcanoes.