Wellington, Sep 23
New research will enable authorities to quickly assess the damage from volcanic ashfall during and after an eruption to better respond to the needs of each community.
"A volcanic eruption could affect thousands of buildings around the North Island, and we need a New Zealand model that provides us with a quick assessment of the scale of the damage," Josh Hayes, GNS Natural Hazard and Risk scientist who led this research said on Monday.
The research project funded by the Natural Hazards Commission (NHC) aims to fill a gap between the existing internationally developed models and local New Zealand post-eruption data collection, according to the research authors.
Hundreds of thousands of North Island homes could be covered in ashfall following a volcanic eruption, and assessing the damage could take months, Hayes said, adding that the understanding of the ashfall effects is highly informed by overseas experiences, news agency reported.
Physically assessing ashfall damage is time-consuming, particularly widespread ashfall events, so creating a damage forecasting model is hugely beneficial for authorities and communities to concentrate resources, said the GNS scientist.