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Typhoon Merbok Volcano Hardening

By Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

In FY 2023, USGS received disaster supplement funds (Public Law 117-328) to repair and harden the volcano monitoring network's regional hubs and remote stations.

 

Typhoon/volcano hardening:  tasks and benefits 2023

A man stands in front of a small hut installing solar panels, with a valley in the background.
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Alaska Volcano Observatory / Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (AVO/DGGS) staff working at a site Makushin Repeater (MREP), Unalaska Island.
  • Typhoon Merbok caused the loss of power and communications at regional hubs and remote stations throughout the regional volcano monitoring network, which hampered the USGS’s ability to continually monitor about 30 active remote volcanoes.
  • Funding will be used to increase the overall level of operational resiliency during the winter storm cycle by hardening installations to better withstand and mitigate impacts from future storms.
  • The USGS will repair damage to stations and regional receive facilities; harden communication infrastructure at receive facilities and major repeater sites; enhance and augment power systems at individual stations and provide backup power systems at regional receive facilities; develop and use backup or failover internet connections (satellite or terrestrial) at regional receive facilities; and improve existing information technology networking and data acquisition systems.

Return to 2023 Supplemental Appropriations Activities.