![]() volcanoes at a level commensurate with the threat posed by each. ![]() The USGS must submit a five-year plan for monitoring all U.S. To "unify the monitoring systems of volcano observatories in the United States into a single interoperative system".To "organize, modernize, standardize, and stabilize the monitoring systems of the volcano observatories in the United States, which includes the Alaska Volcano Observatory, California Volcano Observatory, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory".The National Volcano Early Warning and Monitoring System has two purposes: As of 2018, only three "very high risk" volcanoes are categorized as "well monitored": Kilauea, Mount St. According to Charles Mandeville, the program coordinator for the USGS Volcano Hazards Program, the USGS is "somewhere between 30-40 percent of the way to having an ideal monitoring network for those volcanoes”. Some volcano monitoring has been performed by the Volcano Hazards Program, directed by the USGS, but the program lacks sufficient funding to properly close the monitoring gap. The "very high" risk volcanoes are in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii, with the most dangerous being Kilauea. In 2018, 18 volcanoes were rated as "very high" risk, and 39 volcanoes were rated as "high" risk. The USGS assesses each volcano against a 24-factor hazard and exposure matrix, and assigns a threat level of "very low", "low", "moderate", "high", or "very high". Early warnings are particularly critical for air traffic control, which needs to be made aware of ash-producing eruptions in time to reroute airplanes. Improved monitoring capabilities can provide more timely warnings for evacuations and emergency response coordination, and mitigate the impacts of the travel disruptions. One of the most active volcanoes in Washington, Glacier Peak, only has a single seismometer. Many volcanoes lack any instruments, and the seismometers at other sites are inadequate for useful analysis. The USGS considers many of the more dangerous volcanoes to be under-monitored, lacking adequate scientific instruments on the ground to measure activity and potential threats. There are 169 young volcanoes in the United States, many of which are considered hazardous due to their proximity to populated areas. Ash plume from Augustine Volcano, Alaska, Jan 12, 2006
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