January 26, 1995: Vol26n14: UB volcanologists named advisor to Mexican group

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Bureau Staff
The science committee advising Mexican government authorities on
Popocatepetl, the erupting volcano not far from Mexico City, has named
Michael F. Sheridan, a volcanologist and chair of the Department of
Geology at UB, as an external expert.
	Popocatepetl began an active phase of eruption on Dec. 21, and
is considered to be in a dangerous condition.
	Sheridan is one of three foreign scientists named as advisors
to the committee, and he is the only one from a university. His chief
research interest is in the mitigation of volcanic risk.
	He and colleague Hugo Delgado, associate researcher at the
Geophysical Institute at the National University of Mexico City, have
developed the first three-dimensional computerized models of
Popocatepetl that simulate the reach of potential eruptive phenomena.
This marks the first time that computer simulation models will be put
to use for public-safety planning.
	The science committee named by the Mexican government will
prepare maps to be used for risk assessment to pinpoint areas that may
need to be evacuated if a catastrophic eruption occurs.
	On Dec. 21, ash blanketed the city of Puebla, (population 2
million) and villages near the volcano. Residents who were evacuated
following the eruptions on Dec. 21 have returned and there have been
no reports of damage or casualties.
	Until now, Sheridan said, the volcano has produced only
phreatic ash (tiny pieces of the volcano broken by steam explosions),
which presents no real risk. "However, the danger of mudflows and
floods exist if there is a thick ashfall followed by heavy rainfall,"
he said.
he computerized simulation
 	models, which allow researchers to estimate how fast and how
far flows from an eruption would travel, are particularly helpful in
effectively communicating risk to public officials.
	"Officials can understand what they see on the screen with a
very simple explanation," said Sheridan. "They can understand the
value of using this animation to explain to villagers what could
happen during an eruption, and what they would need to do to save
themselves."
	Chair and professor of geology at UB since 1990, Sheridan was
previously professor of geology at Arizona State University.
	A former Fulbright scholar, he is a fellow of the Geological
Society of America and the Mineralogical Society of America, and a
member of the scientific honors society, Sigma Xi, as well as other
professional scientific groups. He has been a visiting scientist at
the University of Tokyo, University of Pisa and University of
Florence. He also has held visiting professor positions at the
University of Bari, University of Naples, University of Rome and
University of Calabria, all in Italy.