UWI Seismic Research Centre Awarded

The UWI Seismic Research Centre (SRC) in St. Augustine has received an international award for its management of the 2020/2021 eruption of the La Soufrière Volcano in St. Vincent. Director of the Seismic Research Centre, Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, accepted the award from the ‘International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior’ last Thursday in Greece, during the Association’s 11th Cities on Volcanoes Conference. The team, comprising experts from the SRC and Montserrat Volcano Observatory, was the first among a rotation of several scientific teams deployed to St. Vincent from December 2020, following the confirmation of a new dome growth. Throughout La Soufrière’s explosive phase, the UWI SRC worked closely with the country’s National Emergency Management Organization to help the Government and its agencies in risk communication and shaping its response plans. Sixteen thousand people were evacuated ahead of the explosive phase of the volcano, with no reported serious injuries or casualties.