May 21st 2021: Montserrat Volcano Observatory and St Vincent staff update
Staff at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) are continuing to work closely with their colleagues at the Seismic Research Centre (SRC), following activity at La Soufrière in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
To date, four MVO staff members have been deployed to St Vincent and other scientists and technical experts are expected to go in the coming months.
MVO support has included personnel who have travelled to St. Vincent to lend assistance on the ground. Their roles have included assisting with extending the monitoring capability, taking specialist measurements, training of staff and volunteers with data acquisition and processing and the use of specialist equipment. At various stages all three scientific members of MVO staff have acted as team leader, which includes advising the authorities and taking part in outreach.
MVO technician Carlisle Williams will arrive later today (May 21st) where he will be assisting with the installation and maintenance of the La Soufrière monitoring system.
Dr. Adam Stinton returned to St Vincent on May 7th where he is working on the pyroclastic flow and lahar deposits in valleys on the western coast.
Previously, Dr Stinton had been in St Vincent from January 13th until January 20th. Here he carried out thermal and visual observations of the lava dome, collected samples of the lava dome with Prof. Richie Robertson from SRC, and also carried out aerial photogrammetry surveys from which the first high-quality estimates of the dome volume and growth rate were determined.
Dr Thomas Christopher arrived back to Montserrat on May 14th having been in St Vincent since January 13th.
Dr. Christopher used his expertise in the area of geochemistry (volcanic gases) and petrology to assist with the characterisation of the eruption.
MVO research fellow Rod Stewart arrived back in Montserrat on May 7th having been at St Vincent since February 22nd.
Mr Stewart has extensive experience as a volcano seismologist. In St Vincent he has been instrumental in setting up the seismic data acquisition and processing systems at the Belmont Observatory, as well as processing and interpreting the incoming seismic signals.
Alongside the MVO team positioned in St Vincent, MVO director Dr. Graham Ryan, Dr. Victoria Miller, Dr. Karen Pascal, and the technical team, Mr Carlisle Williams and Mr Marlon Fergus, have all played key roles providing expertise and support from Montserrat. The MVO administrative team, Ms Veda Dubery and Mrs Gunjan Jeswani have also provided extensive support.
