GOMA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY – D.R. Congo
The Goma Volcano Observatory is a national Congolese scientific institute dedicated to perform and document research in volcanology and seismology in the western branch of the East African Rift, as well as to monitor volcanic activity of Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira volcanoes, assess water and air quality and provide advices about the exploitation of natural ressources.
General Director: Dr. Katcho Karume
Scientific Director: Deogratias Kavotha
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY – Luxembourg
EUROPEAN CENTER FOR GEODYNAMICS AND SEISMOLOGY – Luxembourg
The Scientific Research Centre of the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Luxembourg was created by the grand-ducal regulation of the 10th November 1982. It aims to carry out research in every domain of the natural heritage and to contribute to its conservation. The research activities concern the fields of botany, ecology, geology-mineralogy, geophysics-astrophysics, palaeontology, population biology, vertebrate and invertebrate zoology. The Geophysics/Astrophysics Unit closely collaborates with the European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology (ECGS) in the frame of national and international projects on geodynamics, gravimetry and seismology. The NMNH hosts the ECGS in its research centre.
The NMNH and the ECGS combine mature level of InSAR capacities (automated systematic InSAR data processing + web tools for data mining, data sharing and data interpretation) and an expertise in ground-based instrumentation for ground deformation monitoring.
GORISK staff: Nicolas d’Oreye, Benoît Smets, Gilles Celli
ROYAL MUSEUM FOR CENTRAL AFRICA – Belgium
The Department of Earth Sciences at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) has a long-standing tradition in scientific research related to geological processes in Africa and the effects these have on society. The department is also responsible for the dissemination knowledge about physical environment and natural resources of Central Africa. The main emphasis lies on the study of crustal deformation processes and mechanisms, urban geology, isotopic ratios, global climate variations, supercontinents, the evolution of Proterozoic orogenic belts, and the connection between regional geology and natural resources.
During the last decades, the study of the Earth from space (air- and space borne remote sensing) has opening many new perspectives in geological and environmental researches. The department has acquired a long experience in remote sensing techniques applied to geology including thematic mapping and radar interferometry (InSAR). Research in this domain largely contributed to active tectonic studies in the East African Rift, to the study of volcanoes in Africa and Philippines and to topographic mapping. Today, the remote sensing expertise of the RMCA is focused on active African volcanoes and their associated hazards.
GORISK staff: François Kervyn, Caroline Michellier, Fabien Albino, Benoît Smets
VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL – Belgium
The Volcanology, Geomorphology and Natural hazards research group is part of the Physical Geography Research Unit, within the Department of Geography. This research group focuses on the study of hazardous geomorphological and volcanological processes in developing countries, with a specific attention to volcano geomorphology, volcano-tectonic processes and landslides. Current projects are dedicated to the study of hazardous morpho-structural processes in active volcanic regions, including the modelling of volcano growth through eruptive and intrusive processes, lava flow emplacement, flank collapse, interactions with tectonic structures and erosion processes. The applications concentrate in volcanic regions of Africa including North Tanzania, the Virunga Volcanic Province in D.R. Congo, Mt Cameroon, and Mt Karthala in the Comores. A growing attention is also paid to the perception and adaptation of population to geohazards. Research approaches involve combining remote sensing and field observations with scaled quantitative analogue models and application of existing numerical models.
GORISK staff: Matthieu Kervyn, Sam Poppe, Benoît Smets
UNIVERISTY OF LUXEMBOURG – Luxembourg
Study and monitoring of Radon & CO2 emissions in the Goma region.
GORISK staff: Antoine Kies
UNIVERSITY OF NAPLES II – Italy
The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and its twin Department works on environmental problems, related to pollution in water systems and possible measures of remediation. It is also works in modelling aqueous and hydrothermal systems, in close by active volcanic areas.
The Faculty is directly involved since 2002 in Goma and its environs as United Nations partner/consultant both for the understanding of the deadly January 2002 eruption of Mt Nyiragongo as well for the risk mitigation of the whole region. The applicant pointed out in mid-2002 the potential hazard of the extremely acid volcanic plume for both drinking waters (e.g rain waters used by locals during dry season) and cultivars (possible local food shortage in case of severe damages to crops), as well the medium term problem of soil acidification.
The Faculty is also involved in a local atlas of the waters of the North Kivu province. The applicant also works on modelling volcanic and non-volcanic areas in Italy through the use of isotope parameters in volcanic and natural fluids (gases and/or waters) (INGV Project, 2005-2007). This project is also producing a new tectonic map, mainly of hidden and possibly active fractures, on the basis of water chemistry and He, Ar, C, O and D isotope ratios.
GORISK staff: Dario Tedesco
