New Zealand [Legacy Version: 1994–1995]

Note: This VAL system was used from 1994–September 1995. The updated VAL system can be found here.

Agency: GNS Science

Name: Scientific Alert Level


Reproduced from: Potter, S.H., Scott, B.J., Fearnley, C.J., Leonard, G.S., Gregg, C.E. (2017). Challenges and Benefits of Standardising Early Warning Systems: A Case Study of New Zealand’s Volcanic Alert Level System. In: Fearnley, C.J., Bird, D.K., Haynes, K., McGuire, W.J., Jolly, G. (eds) Observing the Volcano World. Advances in Volcanology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/11157_2017_18

Elements of VAL system

DomainTerrestrial
VolcanoAll
Scheme range5-level scale
Lowest level1
Highest level5
Level name typeNumber
Level for lack/loss of monitoringNo
Volcanic activityYes
Hazards possible No
Locations affectedYes
Potential impactsYes
Forecast languageYes
Timing languageYes
Actions to takeNo
Agency actionsNo
Link to evacuationsNo
Reporting frequency per levelNo
Link to monitoring thresholdsNo
Step-up and step-down languageNo

Related References

Potter, S. H., Jolly, G. E., Neall, V. E., Johnston, D. M., & Scott, B. J. (2014). Communicating the status of volcanic activity: revising New Zealand’s volcanic alert level system. Journal of Applied Volcanology, 3(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13617-014-0013-7

Potter, S.H., Scott, B.J., Fearnley, C.J., Leonard, G.S., Gregg, C.E. (2017). Challenges and Benefits of Standardising Early Warning Systems: A Case Study of New Zealand’s Volcanic Alert Level System. In: Fearnley, C.J., Bird, D.K., Haynes, K., McGuire, W.J., Jolly, G. (eds) Observing the Volcano World. Advances in Volcanology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/11157_2017_18