Charter
23 January 2002

CUSVO is established to strengthen interaction and communication among Federal, state, and academic representatives of the five U.S. volcano observatories supported primarily by the USGS Volcano Hazards Program – the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO), the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the Long Valley Observatory (LVO), and the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO). The purpose of the consortium is to enhance scientific and technical coordination on operational and research matters that are of broad mutual concern among the observatories, with the goal of generating consensus, where appropriate, for common operating procedures and uniform data standards and products. The consortium will meet periodically as a group to discuss specific pertinent matters and also may convene scientific workshops on specialized topics, prepare technical white papers and planning documents, undertake educational outreach to promote understanding of observatory activities, and interact with other groups involved with volcano monitoring and related research.

CUSVO is a voluntary scientific working group. It is not administered as a bureaucratic unit of any single institution or entity. The objectives and undertakings of CUSVO are aligned with the Federal monitoring, research, and mitigation mission of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program, which provides the primary funding and overall scientific direction for observatory activities. Recommendations, decisions, and policies espoused by the consortium will be based on inclusive, open discussion and solid consensus among its members.