Researchers from the Geothermal Institute and ESNZ recently travelled to Japan as part of a bilateral project to progress new modelling and monitoring approaches that can improve volcano eruption forecasting and community safety.

Last week, Theo Renaud and Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ) researchers Sophie Pearson-Grant, Craig Miller, and Alison Kirkby were hosted at the AIST Tsukuba Centre in Japan for a workshop with Dr Marceau Gresse, Dr Yasuo Matsunaga, Dr Yusuke Yamaya, Dr Norihiro Watanabe, Dr Yoshihiro Ishizuka, and Dr Nobuo Matsushima. 

The team met as part of Towards Forecasting Gas-Driven Volcanic Eruptions Using a Multiphysics Modelling Method, a bilateral New Zealand-Japan research project co-funded by the Royal Society Te Apārangi Catalyst: Seeding programme and JSPS. The project aims to build long-term international collaboration around advanced approaches to eruption forecasting. 

The workshop included presentations and discussions on integrating innovative geophysical methods with numerical reservoir simulations to better characterise volcanic and geothermal processes, particularly at magmatic-fluid interfaces. Improving how we image and understand subsurface processes will support more reliable eruption forecasting and strengthen risk and energy management for communities and future generations. 

The visit also included a trip to the Aso Caldera and its volcano observatory on Kyushu Island, where the team saw how continuous monitoring systems support eruption alerts and public safety. 

Next year, our Japanese colleagues will travel to Aotearoa New Zealand for a national workshop and further collaboration with the New Zealand team.