May 2006
Traveled from my temporary home in Portland, OR to Siapan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). From there, visited both Pagan and Anatahan Islands to conduct fieldwork around the active volcanoes.
Did I just up and decide to go volcano hunting on my own? No, no I was joining the followup work of the US Geological Survey.
Since the 1981 eruption of Mount Pagan, the Emergency Management Office has been monitoring the activity hoping that sometime in the future, the displaced peoples of the island will be able to return to their land. The USGS has been aiding the hazard assessment and will soon be able to provide a geologic map to provide the basis for future assessments. Currently, there are no permanent seismic stations on the island but geophysical equipment is documenting the character of the activity. Seismic equipment on Anatahan, the neighboring island often records events originating from Pagan, but nothing can beat onsite measurements. Hopefully more permanent stations will be installed on the island before further decisions are made regarding the land-use of Pagan.
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