HR: 1340h
AN: U33A-0795 INVITED    [Abstracts]
TI: Evaluating and Communicating Seismo-Volcanic Hazards Within and Between Countries in East Africa
AU: * Ebinger, C J
EM: ebinger@earth.rochester.edu
AF: Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States
AU: Yirgu, G
EM: gezahegnyirgu@yahoo.com
AF: Geology and Geophysics, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, 00ETH, Ethiopia
AU: Mbede, E I
EM: embede@msthe.go.tz
AF: Geology Department, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Dar-es-Salaam, 00TZ, Tanzania, United Republic of
AU: Calais, E
AF: Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue University, W Lafayette, IN 47907,
AU: Wright, T
EM: t.wright@see.leeds.ac.uk
AF: Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS29JT, United Kingdom
AB: The 2005 seismo-volcanic crisis in a remote area of Ethiopia graphically illustrated the problems faced by research scientists in East Africa, as well as the need for regional hazard mitigation programs. Over a 3-week period in 2005, 163 mb > 3.9 earthquakes and a silicic eruption occurred as a 60 km-long dike was intruded along a previously identified rift segment ; the spatial scale is larger, and the deformation more intense, than historical seafloor spreading episodes in Iceland. A similar, but smaller dike intrusion episode with volcanic eruption began in July, 2007 in northern Tanzania. In both situations, geoscientists had communicated the potential seismic and volcanic hazards to politicians and planners, but they had little success obtaining funds for permanent seismic and geodetic monitoring networks. Ethiopian scientists seized the opportunity to both communicate science to the general public, and to increase pressure to develop national and regional hazard mitigation programs. The scientific aspects are equally daunting: how to coordinate international teams, each of whom has a national funding agency expecting output; how to incorporate geophysical training opportunities into field data acquisition programs; how to share seismic and geodetic data across sometimes tense political boundaries; how to allow E African scientists to be equal partners in the data analysis and interpretation? We use the response to these two volcano-seismic rifting events to illustrate ways to use short-term blue skies research projects to improve national and regional geophysical infrastructure in developing countries, and we discuss ongoing programs to communicate science to pastoralists and planners.
DE: 7230 Seismicity and tectonics (1207, 1217, 1240, 1242)
DE: 8488 Volcanic hazards and risks
DE: 9305 Africa
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting