************************************************************** From: Jose Viramonte <viramont@xxxxxxxxxxx> ************************************************************** Dear Colleagues, Nemesio Pérez (ITER Foundation, Tenerife, Spain) called for a meeting in Antigua, Guatemala during February 19-22 and gathered 23 members of the volcanological community of Latin America, Spain and Portugal. The main issue was to make an analysis of the current state of volcanological research and surveillance in the region. We all were very pleased to produce a very complete evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, hazards and opportunities in the Ibero-American region, the results will be published in the near future. Also, the participants worked out the idea of the formation of the Red Iberoamericana de Volcanologia (RIV; Volcanological Ibero-American Network),which will be formed by several institutions of the region. The main purposes of this network will be to strengthen the inter-institutional ties among the countries of the region, optimization of the existing equipment and instrumental capabilities, unify criteria for the elaboration of hazards maps, increase and make more dynamic the relationships among institutions, integrate multidisciplinary inter-institutional teams that may offer support in case of an eruptive crises, and reduce the volcanic risk in the entire region. On the other hand, the basis for the long-standing dream to form the Associacion Latinoamericana de Volcanologia (ALV; Latin American Association of Volcanology) was established. This association, in difference with the RIV, will be made of individuals not institutions. This association will gather all those interested in the multiple aspects of Volcanology and hold currents of opinion, support scientific meetings; favor the formation of human resources, etc. This Spanish-speaking association will complement IAVCEI and will not compete with it. The following is a list of participants: Hugo Moreno and Pilar Aguilera Chile), José Viramonte (Argentina), Jersy Mariño (Perú), Mario Ruiz (Ecuador), Marta Calvache (Colombia), Guillermo Alvarado (Costa Rica), Martha Navarro (Nicaragua), Demetrio Escobar (El Salvador), Hugo Delgado and Mauricio Breton (Mexico), Zilda França and Victor Hugo Forjaz (Portugal), Manuel Triguero, Germán Padilla and Nemesio Perez (Spain) and Gustavo Chigna Marroquin, Jorge Girón, Enrique Molina, Manuel Mota, José Castillo, Eddy Sanchez, and Samuel Bonis (Guatemala). ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
