The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program in 2021

The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) is a team of USGS scientists funded by USAID and the USGS Volcano Hazards Program to help volcano observatories around the world. Catalyzed by the 1985 Nevado del Ruiz catastrophe, the USGS and USAID developed VDAP as a dedicated team of volcano scientists with a cache of instrumentation ready to respond to volcanic crises (at the request of foreign governments) before they became disasters. The program also devotes significant time and resources to long-term capacity building and training, assisting observatories in the development of monitoring networks. VDAP also provides situational awareness for U.S. government agencies and embassies. The expertise, techniques, and instruments developed at active volcanoes around the globe have direct application for the USGS domestic volcano monitoring program. In this recorded talk from March 18, 2021, VDAP staff provide an overview of the program and their work to USGS colleagues in the Volcano Science Center.