In 2004 several partner organisations launched the Volcanic Ash Web site (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/) as a way to provide information about the widespread effects of
ash and recommended actions for people to prevent damage to buildings, vehicles, agriculture, infrastructure, and lifelines. With additional ash fall events around the world in the past 5 years, new information about recommended strategies and case studies are needed to update and improve the usefulness of the Web site.

We plan to revise the Web site beginning in October 2009 based largely on contributions of new material. Please send new information, recommended strategies for dealing with ash, ideas, photographs, and comments to us by the end of September 2009.

If you have information about effective ways to minimize the effects of ash, photographs of the effects of ash and people taking preventative action, and knowledge of case studies please contact the Ash Web Team ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

Through your local and regional contacts and networks, expertise, support and contributions, the Ash Web site can be significantly improved to help us all deal with future volcanic ash falls.

 Click here for the PDF of this request for revision material

Important dates for the selection of Cities on Volcanoes 7:

1 November 2009 - Deadline for written proposals for hosting CoV7
To have a proposal considered, a nomination must have been received by 1 July 2009
Thankyou to those who have submitted nominations!

Click here for the full CoV 7 selection protocol

Email proposals to the 'Commission Leader' via the 'Contact Us' link at left

Background: To date there have been five “Cities on Volcanoes” meetings. The purpose of these meetings is to bring together volcanologists, city authorities, sociologists, psychologists, emergency managers, economists and city planners to evaluate volcanic crises preparedness and management in cities and densely populated areas.

In 1995 the “Volcanoes in Towns” meeting was held in Rome, Italy. From that developed the first “Cites on Volcanoes”, held in June-July 1998 in Rome and Naples, Italy with over 100 people attending. This was followed by the second in February 2001 in Auckland, New Zealand, the third in Hilo, USA in July 2003, the fourth in Quito, Ecuador in January 2006 and the most recent in Shimabara, Japan in November 2007. The sixth meeting is planned for May-June 2010 in Tenerife, Spain.