What can people who live nearby an active volcano do to protect themselves in case of an eruption? My mother tells me that the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has a volcanic sabo (erosion prevention) development project to assist the Indonesians near Mount Merapi to detect volcanic activity and prevent erosions related to the eruptions? Would such a project protect the people? If so how?

rocky Alexander Strang Macdonnell

Dear Alexander,

First, the people need to support the research efforts of volcanologists (which is true in Japan and the U.S., but the U.S. politicians are cutting the support here). The volcano needs to be monitored for changes; see questions 10, 25, 26, and 56 in 10. Volcanic Eruptions in Ask a Volcanologist and Working on Hawaiian Volcanoes The people need to demand that local civil defense authorities have an efficient way to distribute information. And the people need to respond to warnings giving by scientists and civil defense authorities. I am not familiar with the project you mentioned. It may consists of a series of dams or traps in each river or stream that drains the volcano. The dams or traps would slow down some types of volcanic material associated with eruptions (mudflows and lahars). Some of the material would also be removed from the mass that is flowing downhill. By removing momentum from the material it may stop before it reaches a populated area or at least have less energy and smaller volume.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota 

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