The Hawaiian Volcanoes Supersite: Demonstrating the benefits of open data for science and society

In 2008, the Hawaiian Volcanoes Supersite was established to make available large amounts of satellite and other data to study Hawaiian volcanism.  The location was chosen to be the first of the Geohazards Supersites and Natural Laboratories initiative because of the history of volcanological research on the Island of Hawaiʻi and the need for hazards monitoring and mitigation.  Ground-based data are collected by the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and national space agencies provide access to satellite synthetic aperture radar and other imagery that would not otherwise be freely obtainable.  The vast quantity of open space-based data has contributed to: (1) development of new methodologies; (2) successful responses to volcanic crises; and (3) innovative multidisciplinary research.  There remain opportunities for further growth, particularly regarding better coordination among supersite users and implementation of synergistic studies that make use of the full spectrum of available data, including for non-volcanology applications.  Nonetheless, the Hawaiian Volcanoes Supersite demonstrates the importance of freely available, low-latency data, especially from satellites, to disaster risk management and reduction—a vision that has been articulated in numerous international agreements.