Aline Peltier named Knight of the National Order of Merit
Publication date: 01/01/2021
Awards and Distinctions, Institute Life, Press, Research
Related observatories : Volcanological Observatory of Piton de la Fournaise (OVPF-IPGP)
Aline Peltier, a member of the national body of astronomers and physicists (CNAP) and director of the Piton de la Fournaise volcanological observatory on Réunion (OVPF-IPGP), has been awarded the rank of chevalier de l’ordre national du Mérite, by decree of the President of the Republic dated 31 December 2020.
Aline Peltier has been one of the key people over the last 10 years in the development of the Piton de la Fournaise observation networks and in the development of new scientific approaches leading to improvements in the quality of the observatory’s ‘predictions’. She is responsible for understanding the specific geophysical signals that anticipate the arrival of magma at the surface. She has also developed interferometric approaches based on satellite images to monitor surface deformations caused by magma migration at depth, thus making it possible to anticipate the point at which the magma emerges. She became director of the OVPF-IPGP in 2016.
Aline has also played a major role in the emergency response to the seismo-volcanic crisis in Mayotte since May 2019, taking part in the rapid mobilisation of IPGP resources (at the OVPF and in Paris) to install them in Mayotte and ensure nationwide coordination with all the scientists wanting to get involved. For several months now, it has been leading the weekly monitoring meeting of the new Réseau volcanologique et sismologique de Mayotte (Revosima) and is responsible for writing and publishing the weekly information bulletin. In addition, the new observatory being set up for Mayotte will be placed at the OVPF, under the direction of Aline Peltier, for logistical, technical and scientific reasons.
In addition to her various responsibilities and the high quality of her scientific work, Aline is very involved in society, as demonstrated by her many appearances in the media and among the general public.
