Guidelines for volcano-observatory operations during crises: recommendations from the 2019 volcano observatory best practices meeting

In November 2019, the fourth meeting on Volcano Observatory Best Practices workshop was held in
Mexico City as a series of talks, discussions, and panels. Volcanologists from around the world offered
suggestions for ways to optimize volcano-observatory crisis operations. By crisis, we mean unrest that
may or may not lead to eruption, the eruption itself, or its aftermath, all of which require analysis and
communications by the observatory. During a crisis, the priority of the observatory should be to acquire,
process, analyze, and interpret data in a timely manner. A primary goal is to communicate effectively
with the authorities in charge of civil protection. Crisis operations should rely upon exhaustive planning
in the years prior to any actual unrest or eruptions. Ideally, nearly everything that observatories do during
a crisis should be envisioned, prepared, and practiced prior to the actual event. Pre-existing agreements
and exercises with academic and government collaborators will minimize confusion about roles and
responsibilities. In the situation where planning is unfinished, observatories should prioritize close ties
and communications with the land and civil-defense authorities near the most threatening volcanoes.