The U.S. Geological Survey is partnering with Chile to develop a volcano early-warning and emergency-response system for the country after Chaitén Volcano’s historic eruption on May 2. It is the first time the volcano has erupted in more than 9,000 years.

Following the eruption, USGS helped the Chilean government install monitoring networks at Chaitén to transmit real-time data and help warn the public of further eruptions. On June 13, USGS signed a letter of intent with President Bachelet of Chile to help the nation establish a volcano early-warning system.

“There was virtually no instrumental monitoring at Chaitén Volcano prior to the eruption,” said USGS scientist John Ewert, who noted that 5,000 residents were evacuated from areas near the volcano. “Without the monitoring, people nearby or at risk have almost no time to prepare themselves, their families or their possessions for what may be a life-altering event.”

“The Chaitén Volcano is continuing to build a lava dome at a spectacular rate, to emit fine ash, and to produce lahars — rivers of mud and debris — that continue to flow through the town of Chaitén,” said USGS scientist Andy Lockhart, who was on the ground at Chaitén.

Chile’s volcano early-warning system will be similar to the plan USGS released in 2005 in the United States. That plan systematically ranks the most dangerous volcanoes and assesses monitoring gaps at each volcano.

The United States has a total of 169 potentially active volcanoes, half of which have some monitoring, and five volcano observatories nationwide. Chile has 120 potentially active volcanoes and one volcano observatory for the nation.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, provided financial support for the work in Chile. The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program, a 22-year collaborative project between the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and USGS, will coordinate future work.

“Fundamentally, we build friendships with our colleagues and partners around the world, and together we are better able to mitigate these potentially dangerous events,” said USGS scientist John Pallister.

Listen to episode 52 of Corecast to hear a podcast interview with volcanologists Pallister, Ewert and Lockhart at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/.