SEISMOLOGICAL NETWORK - NETWORKS FOR DEFORMATION MONITORING - MAGNETIC NETWORK - GEOCHEMICAL MONITORING

Monitoring Networks

Chart of the monitoring networks of the 'Piton de la Fournaise'

We distinguish four different networks with a hundred of instruments installed on the field:

- The seismic network,
- The deformations network with the inclinometers, extensometers, distance meters and GPS.
- The radon probes
- The magnetic network

The networks work non stop 24h a day, 365 days a year. They comprise a total of approximately 100 instruments at 35 different sites at the "Piton de la Fournaise"
The instruments are maintained, repaired and constantly improved by the technicians and the correct operation of the networks is verified everyday by the personnel of the observatory. The data stream is recorded at the observatory and analyzed daily, making possible in the past to anticipate all the eruptions since the creation of the observatory. The analysis of the data and the experimental research undertaken to the observatory and The Institute of Earth Physics of Paris has improved our comprehension of the eruptive mechanisms of the volcanoes. In return, this knowledge was used to improve the methods of monitoring and to forecasts the eruptions.