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Resources

Here we list resources that the public, agencies and scientists can use to prepare for and deal with ash.

For the Public

Health Hazard Guides

The International Volcanic Health Hazards Network (IVHHN) is an umbrella organisation for all research and information on volcanic health hazards. IVHHN has produced guidelines and databases on volcanic health issues, and information resources intended for the public and emergency managers.

NEW Guidelines on Protection from Breathing Ash

  • IVHHN guidelines on Protection from Breathing Ash

    • Pamphlets for the Public and Emergency Managers:

  • Guidelines on Preparedness Before, During and After an Ashfall (English version) and,
  • Health Hazards of Volcanic Ash-A Guide for the Public may be downloaded from the IVHHN website.

    These pamphlets are available in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Swahili, Portuguese, Indonesian and Icelandic at both low (web) and high (print) resolution at the following link: Preparedness and Health Pamphlets (various languages). A version in Italian is in preparation.

    • Health and Safety Considerations for Ashfall Clean-up:

  • IVHHN Briefing Note - Cleanup Health & Safety (including roofs)
  • Working at height in New Zealand
  • Working on roofs - good practice guidelines in New Zealand.
  • Respiratory protective equipment for workers in New Zealand

    • Recommended Dust Masks - for the Public and Emergency Managers:

  • Guidance on dust masks for use during ash fallout (English version).
  • Guidance on dust masks for use during ash fallout (other languages).

    • Guide on Volcanic Gases:

    The International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN) has developed information relating to health hazards of gases and aerosols emitted during volcanic activity that can be found by clicking here (available in English, Spanish, and Japanese). The entire guideline can be downloaded as a PDF or you can explore the following topic areas:
  • Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
  • Carbon Dioxide(CO2)
  • Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S)
  • Hydrogen Chloride (HCL)
  • Hydrogen Fluoride (HF)
  • Particulate Matter (PM) and Aerosols

    • Vog Dashboard

    The Vog Dashboard is a comprehensive resources on vog and its impacts.

    For Agencies

    New Global Ash Impact Posters

    Below is a series of posters, commissioned by USAID, the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program and US Geological Survey, providing concise best practice information for critical infrastructure managers to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from ash-producing volcanic eruptions. These posters are being translated into Spanish, Indonesian, French and Tagalog/Filipino and will be posted on this page when available.

    Content is based on the latest international research and informed by observations from around the world. It is modified from a set of New Zealand-focused posters commissioned by the Auckland Lifelines Group.

    Volcanic ashfall advice for:

    Ash Impact Guidelines for Agriculture

  • Impact of Volcanic Ash on Agriculture and Forestry

    • Example Local Fact Sheets and Guidelines

  • IVHHN Briefing Note on Water Quality Developed for St. Vincent
  • Volcano Advice-Key Interagency Messages Developed for Ambae

    • For Scientists

    Wider New Zealand-based advice for ashfall impacts and mitigation to Primary Industries can be found here:
  • MPI Dealing with volcanic eruptions

    • Ash Collection Protocols

    The following protocols were developed by the Alaska Volcano Observatory for both scientists and the public but can be used in almost any setting or circumstance.

  • Instructions for collecting volcanic ash samples
  • Ash Collection Datasheet
  • Isomass/isopach mapping - This guideline is to be added

    • Assessing Hazards to Health and Agriculture from Leachates:

  • Protocol for analysis of volcanic ash samples for assessment of hazards from leachable elements (for health and agriculture)

    • This report was the outcome of a two-day workshop held at the Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience, Durham University, UK, in 2011, attended by the authors (experts in leachate methodologies). A 2005 review of ash-leachate studies (Witham et al., 2005), which made preliminary recommendations on standard methods for characterising ash leachates, was used as the starting point for discussions at this workshop.

    The purpose of this protocol is to recommend clear, standard and reliable methods for the rapid assessment of hazards from leachable elements, each applicable to specific purposes.

    Assessing Respiratory Health Hazard

  • Protocol for analysis of bulk ash samples for health hazard assessment

    • Analysis of Particle-Size Distribution

  • English Particle-size distribution analysis guideline

    • Ash Samplers - a review of what is out there:

    Following is a summary of physical ash samplers that can be deployed in the field during eruptions:
    • Bernard, Benjamin (2013). Homemade ashmeter: a low-cost, high-efficiency solution to improve tephra field-data collection for contemporary explosive eruptions. Journal of Applied Volcanology, 2.1: 1-9. Click here to download PDF.

    • Shimano, T., Nishimura, T., Chiga, N., Shibasaki, Y., Iguchi, M., Miki, D., & Yokoo, A. (2013). Development of an automatic volcanic ash sampling apparatus for active volcanoes. Bulletin of Volcanology, 75(12), 1-7. Click here to download PDF.

    • Distal Ash Collection in the UK - YouTube Tutorial

    • Stevenson, J.A., Loughlin, S., Rae, C., Thordarson, T., Milodowski, A.E., Gilbert, J.S., Harangi, S., Lukács, R., Højgaard, B., Árting, U. and Pyne-O'Donnell, S. (2012). Distal deposition of tephra from the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 summit eruption. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 117(B9).