Volcanoes can lull you to sleep. People can live on a volcano and not realize that it is alive. Generations can pass and then sudden disaster might occur. A lot of the potential disaster can be mitigated, but volcanologists have much to learn about how to do this.

Working on volcanoes in Guatemala and El Salvador for the past 30 years has taught me much, but I have failed to communicate with the people most directly impacted by these volcanoes--the people who live on and around them.

The hundreds of papers we have written for volcanological, geological or atmospheric science professionals contain much information about hazards, but it is not interpreted or explained in language that Central Americans can understand, and it is not delivered to a place they can find it.
We will have to do something different if we wish to really mitigate volcanic hazards in these two volcanic countries. This web page is a vehicle to begin this effort by producing published volcanic hazards mitigation material for El Salvador and Guatemala that will be addressed and distributed directly to teachers in schools across these countries. The effort will be collaborative, with input from volcanologists and communicators from outside, but will be produced and distributed in both countries.

This page is a first step in this effort, in which we provide some simple fundamental concepts about volcanic hazards that can be linked to specific local examples in both countries. These can form the outlines for lesson plans for teachers, and can be taught with illuminating in class activities. We aim to provide the information needed on local volcanoes to make the lesson plans close to home and real, and suggestions for class activities to help teach them to students.

This information will be used by people in the local countries to be translated into local culture and language. The goal is effective teaching aids directed toward mitigation of volcanic hazards.