PROGRAM TITLE: Global Volcanism Program ACTIVITY STREAM: Observations SCIENCE ELEMENT:Solid Earth Processes SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (NMNH) SCIENTIFIC MERIT: The historical record on a global scale is important not only for understanding events that are uncommon in our own lifetimes but also for developing the perspective needed to understand any volcanic event. Past volcanological studies have been conducted on a single volcano, process, or product. This program compiles information on all the world's volcanoes in order to provide a space/time perspective for global volcanism. Complementing and strengthening the Smithsonian's curatorial research programs and specimen collections the program provides important resources for the international research and hazard mitigation communities. The three main parts of the program are: (1) The Global Volcanism Network (formerly SEAN), a network tracking and reporting current volcanic activity around the world; (2) A database of the world's volcanoes and their known eruptions of the last 10,000 years; and (3) An archive of maps, photographs, and other historical documentation of the world's volcanoes. Our ever-growing database has been successfully transferred from an archaic mainframe system to an efficient desktop environment that gives us on-line answers to questions that would have formerly required weeks or months. GVN reports reach tens of thousands of readers each month--through "Geotimes", "EOS", and "Bulletin of Volcanology" as well as our own "GVN Bulletin"--and we have published a book, "Global Volcanism 1975-1985", compiling the first 10 years of reports. Our archives now contain >3000 maps covering most of the world's volcanoes, as well as historic documents such as those discovered in our work on "Krakatau 1883". These--plus a variety of photographs--form an interactive laserdisk display in the Smithsonian/USGS exhibit "Inside Active Volcanoes". Other interactive GVP elements of this exhibit, now touring US museums, include an on-line version of our "GVN Bulletin", and a menu-driven version of our database allowing answers to a wide variety of volcano questions. Another public education project has been the joint publication, with USGS, of "This Dynamic Planet", a 1x1.5 m world map showing volcanoes, earthquakes, physiography, and tectonic features of the Earth. The main elements of this program have been in place for about 25 years. The Smithsonian's reporting network started at the end of 1967, as the Center for Short-lived Phenomena, and grew through SEAN to today's GVN. The need for quick access to scattered volcano data led to the start of our database in 1971, and informal archiving of volcanological documents began around the same time. For almost the same period of time, we have been contributing our own SEAN/GVN reports, providing the first global dataset for the full spectrum of volcanic activity--the small ones as well as the large ones--around the world. Line item funding for this program, augmenting existing base programs and initiating a formal archive, arrived in FY 1985. STAKEHOLDERS: The Global Volcanism Network includes 550 foreign correspondents and its reports are read by a much larger number overseas. Many foreign volcanologists also participate in our database efforts. Interaction with NASA and NOAA is frequent, both in real-time volcanic cloud monitoring via satellite and LIDAR monitoring of long-term atmospheric effects. Collaboration with DOI/USGS volcanologists includes joint projects (e.g. exhibit and world map) and reporting (via observatories and VCAT). POLICY RELEVANCE: Development of this program comes at a time of greatly increased recognition of volcanism's impact on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and even biosphere (from El Nino to mass extinctions). Understanding volcano-climate interaction requires knowledge of the frequency and magnitude of all eruptions -- large and small -- gained from the GVP database. The range of behavior is large and the time scales are long, demanding careful attention to both the historic record and the global spectrum of activity in order to understand how volcanoes work. Furthermore, GVN reporting of new eruptions aids focusing of remote sensing devices in order to maximize data gathering on the effects of contemporary volcanism. The program is relevant to several key areas identified as part of the USGCRP providing data on greenhouse gases, terrestrial sources/sinks, individual and regional volcanogenic SO2 emissions quantified and globally extrapolated, observing systems and information management, comprehensive databases for global volcanis activity established and integrated including SO2 and CO2 emissions, models, comprehensive assessments of environmental gases, global water, energy cycles, and sea level change, atmospheric radiation, atmospheric radiation processes quantified. Short-term plans include external modem access to the database, an export version of the file, and a second edition of our book "Volcanoes of the World", as well as continued improvement in the database itself. Expansion will include increased links to other related databases, such as Felix Chayes' (volcano rock chemistry), Chris Newhall's (eruption precursors), and Russell Blong's (hazards/fatalities). Laser disk access to graphic elements from our archives (the exhibit disk being a prototype) will be a major growth area. Volcanism shows no sign of slowing down, so GVN reporting will continue, emphasizing better communication to facilitate both prompt study and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding volcanoes. Increased funding in out years will allow expansion of coverage, increased accuracy and swifter reporting. PROGRAM CONTACTS:SI SGCR Representative: Ted A. Maxwell NASM MRC 315 Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. 20560 202 357 1424 FAX: 202 786 2566 Email: tmaxwell@ceps.nasm.edu Bureau Representative: Marsha Sitnik NMNH MRC 106 Smithsonian Institution Washington, D.C. 20560 202 357 2670 FAX: 202 786 2934 Email: nmhod004@sivm.si.edu