Does the USGS have a team for rapid response to volcano emergencies abroad?
Yes. Such a team is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP). The team was formed in cooperation with the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) of the U.S. State Department following the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia, in which over 23,000 people lost their lives. At the request of host countries and working through OFDA, VDAP scientists quickly determine the nature of volcanic unrest and assess its possible consequences. VDAP has responded to volcano emergencies in more than a dozen countries during the past decade. In addition to helping people in other countries to get out of harm’s way, VDAP’s international work directly benefits volcano-hazard mitigation in the United States. Through VDAP, we gain experience at active volcanoes that will help during future crises in the western United States, and we collect important scientific data on eruption precursors that are used to better understand how
