About the Database - Volcanic Hazard Maps

A full description of the database can be found in this open-access Applied Volcanology article:

Ogburn, S. E., Charlton, D., Norgaard, D., Wright, H. M., Calder, E. S., Lindsay, J., Ewert, J., Takarada, S. & Tajima, Y. (2023). The Volcanic Hazard Maps Database: an initiative of the IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk. Journal of Applied Volcanology, 12(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13617-022-00128-9

The Volcanic Hazard Maps Database grew from several related efforts:

1. Ogburn, S.E., Wagner, K., Calder, E.S. (2014). HazMap database of hazard map metadata. (unpublished).

2. Calder, E., Wagner, K., & Ogburn, S.E. (2015). Volcanic Hazard Maps. In: Loughlin, S.C., Sparks, S., Brown, S.K., Jenkins, S.F., & Vye-Brown, C. (Eds.) Global Volcanic Hazards and Risk. Cambridge University Press. p. 335-342

3. Charlton, Danielle. (2018). New approaches to volcanic hazard mapping at Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy. University College London, Doctoral dissertation.

4. Lindsay, J. …(in preparation). Global Survey of Volcanic Hazard Maps.

Through ongoing collaboration under the umbrella of the IAVCEI Working Group on Hazard Mapping, including a series of IAVCEI State of the Hazard Map workshops, these database efforts have been harmonized, combined, and expanded.

Additionally, our Japanese collaborators helped enter more than 50 recent Japanese maps from the NIED Database on Volcanic Hazard Maps and Reference Material, a database of over 300 Japanese hazard maps from 1983-present.

Recently published work by Forte et al. (2021) regarding Latin American hazard maps from 1978-2021 was also an invaluable resource. This paper serves as the preface to the Volcanica Special Issue on Volcano Observatories in Latin America.

We use volcano data from the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program (GVP) Volcanoes of the World database. We defer to GVP volcano and feature names where possible and use GVP volcano numbers. In the advanced search menu, users can search for maps based on a variety of volcano characteristics from the GVP database, including activity epoch, primary rock type, volcano type (morphology), tectonic setting, maximum VEI, and nearby population.

About Us

The following people have contributed to the Volcanic Hazard Maps Database:

Dr. Sarah Ogburn, USAID/USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program: Database development and population, project planning and collaboration, and website content creation
Diana Norgaard, USAID/USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program: Website development and administration
Dr. Danielle Charlton, GNS Science: Database population, project planning and collaboration, and website content creation
Prof. Eliza Calder, University of Edinburgh: Project conception, planning, and collaboration
Prof. Jan Lindsay, University of Auckland: Project conception, planning and collaboration
Dr. Heather Wright, USAID/USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program: Project planning and collaboration
Dr. John Ewert, USAID/USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program: Project planning and collaboration, and database population
Dr. Shinji Takarada, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST: Project collaboration and database population
Dr. Yasuhisa Tajima, Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. Research & Development Center: Database population
Yosuke Miyagi, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED): Database population
Yuhki Kohno, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience (NIED): Database population
Tomohiro Kubo, Mt. Fuji Research Institute: Database population
Bastian Steinke, University of Auckland: Miscellaneous project support
Max Burnham, USGS Cooperative Summer Field Training Program Intern: Database population, map scanning, miscellaneous project support
Karl Wagner, University at Buffalo: Database population and development, project collaboration

Using the Database

The database can be searched using a basic search or an advanced search, which searches a multitude of collected map metadata, such as hazard process types, hazard zone presentation, temporal scale, audience and purpose, publication format, hazard zonation methodology, map elements, and map design. Maps can also be searched using volcano characteristics from the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program (GVP) Volcanoes of the World database such as activity epoch, primary rock type, volcano type, tectonic setting, maximum VEI, and nearby population.

Maps can also be browsed by volcano or country, or explored geographically on the Global Volcano Map, which uses GVP volcano coordinates.

Descriptions of these searchable map metadata types are explained on the Diversity of Hazard Maps topic pages.

Additional pages provide general information and analysis of the contents of the database. Maps Through Time explores the history of hazard maps as well as the progression of different versions of maps through time. Maps Around the World explores the diversity of maps around the world. The Sourcebook page serves as a companion to the IAVCEI CVHR Volcanic Hazard Map Sourcebook which was developed from the State of the Hazard Map workshops.

Citations and Copyright

Reference article citation:

General database and website citation:

Ogburn, S.E., Norgaard, D., Charlton, D., Calder, E.S., Wright, H.M, Lindsay, J., Takarada, S., Tajima, Y. & Ewert, J. (2020-). Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, v. 2.1 (29 November 2023). IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk. Accessed [today’s date]. https://volcanichazardmaps.org

Individual maps:

Individual map citations can be found on the map information pages. Map thumbnail images are displayed only for maps for which we have obtained copyright. To provide copyright permissions, please contact us. Most map pages have links to the full-size, original maps.

The copyrighted contents of each hazard map or related resource belong to the publisher of each map or resource. Please contact the individual map publisher concerning the contents of each hazard map or related material in the case of using them for publications or other purposes.

For Japanese maps, please follow the acceptable use policy in the NIED Database on Volcanic Hazard Maps and Related Materials provided by NIED, Japan.

Volcano data:

Maps are searchable by a variety of volcano characteristics from the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program (GVP) Volcanoes of the World database, including activity epoch, primary rock type, volcano type, tectonic setting, maximum VEI, and nearby population. The citation for GVP volcano data is:

Global Volcanism Program, 2013. Volcanoes of the World, v. 4.9.2 (10 Dec 2020). Venzke, E (ed.). Smithsonian Institution. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.GVP.VOTW4-2013.