Volcanic Hazards and Public Response

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in Israel in February 2020 prompted widespread public response, which included a deluge of humorous memes. The current article discusses the main meme cycles of the pandemic with the aim of uncovering the functions of the humorous meme, and particularly its singular language, which incorporates the universal and the particular, the global and the local, the hegemonic and the subversive. The memes are examined in their immediate context, as responses to news announcements, restrictions, and rumors relating to the pandemic, and from a comparative perspective, with emphasis on the various functions of disaster jokes and the use of folklore in response to previous epidemics, crises, or risks. Alongside the hybrid nature of the genre, these meme cycles demonstrate that COVID-19 is not just a threatening virus but a new reality that undermines our experience of time and space, evoking old beliefs and new, and threatening to change everyday practices. These narratives not only reflect the incongruities evoked by the virus, but also give vent to anxieties and aggressions brought on by the pandemic and convey a communal need to protect and foster group cohesion and a local sense of belonging.

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Near-real-time volcanic cloud monitoring: insights into global explosive volcanic eruptive activity through analysis of Volcanic Ash Advisories

Bulletin of Volcanology ◽

10.1007/s00445-020-01419-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 83 (2) ◽

Author(s):

S. Engwell ◽

L. Mastin ◽

A. Tupper ◽

J. Kibler ◽

P. Acethorp ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Volcanic Activity ◽

Volcanic Ash ◽

Source Parameters ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Volcanic Hazards ◽

Process Data ◽

Cloud Monitoring ◽

Satellite Sensors ◽

Volcanic Cloud

AbstractUnderstanding the location, intensity, and likely duration of volcanic hazards is key to reducing risk from volcanic eruptions. Here, we use a novel near-real-time dataset comprising Volcanic Ash Advisories (VAAs) issued over 10 years to investigate global rates and durations of explosive volcanic activity. The VAAs were collected from the nine Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) worldwide. Information extracted allowed analysis of the frequency and type of explosive behaviour, including analysis of key eruption source parameters (ESPs) such as volcanic cloud height and duration. The results reflect changes in the VAA reporting process, data sources, and volcanic activity through time. The data show an increase in the number of VAAs issued since 2015 that cannot be directly correlated to an increase in volcanic activity. Instead, many represent increased observations, including improved capability to detect low- to mid-level volcanic clouds (FL101–FL200, 3–6 km asl), by higher temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution satellite sensors. Comparison of ESP data extracted from the VAAs with the Mastin et al. (J Volcanol Geotherm Res 186:10–21, 2009a) database shows that traditional assumptions used in the classification of volcanoes could be much simplified for operational use. The analysis highlights the VAA data as an exceptional resource documenting global volcanic activity on timescales that complement more widely used eruption datasets.

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Citizen views on genome editing: effects of species and purpose

Agriculture and Human Values ◽

10.1007/s10460-021-10235-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gesa Busch ◽

Erin Ryan ◽

Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk ◽

Daniel M. Weary

Keyword(s):

Disease Resistance ◽

Product Quality ◽

Genome Editing ◽

Total Sample ◽

Moral Foundations ◽

Perceived Risks ◽

Public Response ◽

The Public ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Us

AbstractPublic opinion can affect the adoption of genome editing technologies. In food production, genome editing can be applied to a wide range of applications, in different species and with different purposes. This study analyzed how the public responds to five different applications of genome editing, varying the species involved and the proposed purpose of the modification. Three of the applications described the introduction of disease resistance within different species (human, plant, animal), and two targeted product quality and quantity in cattle. Online surveys in Canada, the US, Austria, Germany and Italy were carried out with a total sample size of 3698 participants. Using a between-subject design, participants were confronted with one of the five applications and asked to decide whether they considered it right or wrong. Perceived risks, benefits, and the perception of the technology as tampering with nature were surveyed and were complemented with socio-demographics and a measure of the participants’ moral foundations. In all countries, participants evaluated the application of disease resistance in humans as most right to do, followed by disease resistance in plants, and then in animals, and considered changes in product quality and quantity in cattle as least right to do. However, US and Italian participants were generally more positive toward all scenarios, and German and Austrian participants more negative. Cluster analyses identified four groups of participants: ‘strong supporters’ who saw only benefits and little risks, ‘slight supporters’ who perceived risks and valued benefits, ‘neutrals’ who showed no pronounced opinion, and ‘opponents’ who perceived higher risks and lower benefits. This research contributes to understanding public response to applications of genome editing, revealing differences that can help guide decisions related to adoption of these technologies.

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A Qualitative Study of COVID-19 Distress in University Students

Emerging Adulthood ◽

10.1177/21676968211025128 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 216769682110251

Author(s):

Samantha G. Farris ◽

Mindy M. Kibbey ◽

Erick J. Fedorenko ◽

Angelo M. DiBello

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Financial Strain ◽

Public Response ◽

Viral Spread ◽

Future Work ◽

The Impact ◽

Viral Outbreak ◽

Selection Of

The psychological effect of the pandemic and measures taken in response to control viral spread are not yet well understood in university students; in-depth qualitative analysis can provide nuanced information about the young adult distress experience. Undergraduate students ( N = 624) in an early US outbreak “hotspot” completed an online narrative writing about the impact and distress experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected April-May 2020. A random selection of 50 cases were sampled for thematic analysis. Nine themes were identified: viral outbreak distress, fear of virus contraction/transmission, proximity to virus, dissatisfaction with public response, physical distancing distress, social distancing distress, academic and school-related distress, disruptive changes in health behavior and routines, financial strain and unemployment, worsening of pre-existing mental health problems, and social referencing that minimizes distress. Future work is needed to understand the persistence of the distress, in addition to developing methods for assessment, monitoring, and mitigation of the distress.

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Public Response, Anxiety and Behaviour during the First Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094628 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4628

Author(s):

Amani Salem Alqahtani ◽

Meshael Mohammed Alrasheed ◽

Ada Mohammed Alqunaibet

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Public Response ◽

Social Events ◽

Phone Survey ◽

Younger Age ◽

Low Levels ◽

The Government

This study aims to investigate public response attitude, anxiety, practices and trust in the authorities’ mitigation plan during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. A national cross sectional phone survey was conducted among Saudi residents aged 16 years and above. A total of 90,421 (45.2%) individuals participated in the study. Of those, the overall rate of COVID-19 correct knowledge was 82% (mean: 9.84); social media was the most reported source of knowledge. Younger age, low levels of education and foreign residents were associated with poor knowledge. Overall, 49.5% scored 5 or more on the GAD-7 test, indicating anxiety symptoms, 19.2% of them scored 10 and above, suggesting moderate to severe anxiety. Majority of participants (>78%) trusted and supported the interventions implemented by the government to control COVID-19. Social distancing practices among participants was as following, 72.5% stayed at home and avoid going out for nonessential business and 49.5% avoided attending social events and family gatherings. Trust in authorities, being anxious, worry and levels of knowledge about the disease, were the most common factors affecting adoption of the recommended practices. Continuous evaluation of public response about COVID-19, and the effectiveness of protective measures is essential to better inform policy-makers and identify ways of encouraging behaviour change among public during pandemic.

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Attention for Attention Hotspots: Exploring the Newsworthiness of Public Response in the Metric Society

Journalism Studies ◽

10.1080/1461670x.2021.1889396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 799-819

Author(s):

Silke Fürst ◽

Franziska Oehmer

Keyword(s):

Public Response

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Submarine lava deltas of the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea volcano

Bulletin of Volcanology ◽

10.1007/s00445-020-01424-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 83 (4) ◽

Author(s):

S. Adam Soule ◽

Michael Zoeller ◽

Carolyn Parcheta

Keyword(s):

Grain Size ◽

Pore Pressure ◽

Mechanistic Model ◽

Large Fraction ◽

Volcanic Hazards ◽

Lava Flows ◽

Coarse Grained ◽

Fine Grained ◽

Fine Grain ◽

Delta Formation

AbstractHawaiian and other ocean island lava flows that reach the coastline can deposit significant volumes of lava in submarine deltas. The catastrophic collapse of these deltas represents one of the most significant, but least predictable, volcanic hazards at ocean islands. The volume of lava deposited below sea level in delta-forming eruptions and the mechanisms of delta construction and destruction are rarely documented. Here, we report on bathymetric surveys and ROV observations following the Kīlauea 2018 eruption that, along with a comparison to the deltas formed at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō over the past decade, provide new insight into delta formation. Bathymetric differencing reveals that the 2018 deltas contain more than half of the total volume of lava erupted. In addition, we find that the 2018 deltas are comprised largely of coarse-grained volcanic breccias and intact lava flows, which contrast with those at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō that contain a large fraction of fine-grained hyaloclastite. We attribute this difference to less efficient fragmentation of the 2018 ‘a‘ā flows leading to fragmentation by collapse rather than hydrovolcanic explosion. We suggest a mechanistic model where the characteristic grain size influences the form and stability of the delta with fine grain size deltas (Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō) experiencing larger landslides with greater run-out supported by increased pore pressure and with coarse grain size deltas (Kīlauea 2018) experiencing smaller landslides that quickly stop as the pore pressure rapidly dissipates. This difference, if validated for other lava deltas, would provide a means to assess potential delta stability in future eruptions.

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