First Commission meeting at EGU 2026

CoVSA Commission Meeting Report

European Geosciences Union (EGU) GA 2026 7 May 2026 – Vienna, Austria

The Commission on Volcano Seismology and Acoustics (CoVSA) held its first meeting with the newly elected leadership during the EGU General Assembly 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The meeting introduced the new commission structure, outlined strategic priorities, and gathered community feedback regarding future activities, workshops, and scientific coordination efforts.

Meeting outline

1) Introduction to CoVSA
2) New Commission Structure / Leadership

3) Commission Activities and Mission

4) New Website

5) Open Discussion

i) Workshops vs. Large Conferences

ii) Workshop formats

iii) Upcoming workshop

iv) Virtual Engagement and Collaboration

v) Data Archiving and Community Standards

vi) Outreach, Visibility, and Partnerships

vii) Action Item for Members

6) Upcoming IUGG Meeting

1. Introduction to CoVSA

CoVSA is a joint commission of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) and the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth’s Interior (IASPEI). Some of the commission’s objectives that were discussed during the meeting include:

▶ Coordinating and advancing research activities
▶ Supporting workshops, training, and community experiments
▶ Facilitating communication and networking across the community 

▶ Promoting participation by Early Career Investigators (ECRs)
▶ Contributing to IUGG activities
▶ Helping guide the future development of the field

2. New Commission Structure / Leadership

The newly formed leaderboard was elected in October 2025. The commission leadership currently consists of:

▶ Co-Chairs: Miriam Reiss & Corentin Caudron
▶ Workshop Coordinator: Jeff Johnson
▶ ECR Representatives: Rodrigo Contreras & Darren Tan 

▶ Secretary: Anna Perttu
▶ Web Coordinator: Bastian Steinke

Although the current structure was designed as a “minimum viable team, additional volunteer roles may be established as activities expand.

3. Commission Activities and Mission

So far, ongoing online meetings and discussions have focused on clarifying the commission’s role and identifying evolving community needs. A new mission statement has been published on the commission website, and members are encouraged to review it and provide feedback. The commission aims to remain responsive to community priorities and enhance broader participation across volcano seismology, acoustic/infrasound and hydro-acoustic communities.

4. New Website

The commission introduced its new website. Current key website features:

▶ Commission announcements 

▶ Mission and EDI statements 

▶ Workshop information
▶ Future webinar resources

▶ Contact and mailing-list registration forms

Members are strongly encouraged to join the commission mailing list through the website form. At present, approximately 150 members are subscribed (including outdated email contacts), and leadership emphasized that many community members are missing from the distribution list.

Several participants proposed that the commission curate shared resources (e.g., codes published in GitHub repositories, software, literature) via the website. Curation of weblinks to respective software/material could be managed by contributors, which requires fluent communication between the commission and its members.

Suggestions for website improvements and additional content are welcomed. Full link: https://sites.google.com/view/volcano-sa

5. Open Discussion

Workshops versus Large Conferences

Part of the discussion concerned the balance between dedicated CoVSA workshops and larger conferences such as EGU and AGU. While scientific assemblies provide broad visibility and networking opportunities, many attendees emphasized that focused workshops remain essential for detailed scientific discussion, collaboration, and community building. In view of travel limitations and funding constraints, several participants suggested exploring regional workshops linked to larger meetings in order to reduce travel burdens while maintaining opportunities for in-person interaction.

Workshop Formats

Possible workshop models could be:
▶ Field-based workshops (similar to those organised by IAVCEI Commission on Chemistry of Volcanic Gases), or community experiments
▶ Thematic workshops focused on specific scientific or technical questions or challenges

▶ Hybrid events consisting of field activities and later synthesis meetings (alternating every year), or field deployment with later conference sessions

▶ Workshops tied to regional meetings or larger conferences
▶ Dedicated follow-up meetings focused on data interpretation and publication 

▶ Stronger integration of hands-on training opportunities

Participants highlighted the value of workshops that combine scientific collaboration with practical training opportunities for students and ECRs (beyond what is possible e.g. in an EGU session). Several attendees emphasized that successful workshops require invested local hosts and sustained participation following field deployments. Past examples, including workshops in Guatemala (WOVO 2016) and Indonesia (2014), were discussed as useful models for collaborative data-analysis efforts, under the condition that post-workshop investment/commitment by the attendees remains high. Participant engagement can decline following the initial workshop phase, which may be (and has been) frustrating for local collaborators and organizers – this is something to consider for future events.

Upcoming workshop

No standalone workshop is planned for 2026 due to the ongoing commission transition period. The major event under consideration is a Reventador 2027 community experiment and workshop, potentially coordinated alongside a regional meeting.

Virtual Engagement and Collaboration

The group also discussed expanding virtual activities, including webinars, online discussions, and technical tutorials. Virtual meetings were viewed as a useful way to identify community priorities, develop workshop themes, and maintain engagement between in-person meetings.

Further options to strengthen collaboration and involvement could be the publication of a special volume on selected topics.

Data Archiving and Community Standards

Part of the discussion focused on the growing infrasound and volcanic acoustics communities and the need for stronger coordination and data-management practices.

▶ Improved documentation of multi-volcano studies
▶ Standardized metadata and station information
▶ Challenges associated with differing infrasound naming conventions
▶ Use of repositories such as FDSN and GVMID
▶ The ideal standard is for datasets to be openly archived online
▶ At minimum, station existence and metadata should be documented
▶ Existing established repositories should be used whenever possible before creating new specialized systems.

The possibility of producing community “how-to” guides for data archiving and metadata standards was also discussed.

Outreach, Visibility, and Partnerships

In recent years, the presence of the commission had diminished within some organizations because of inactivity. Participants emphasized that increasing the visibility of the commission is an urgent priority:

▶  Improving connections with the hydro-acoustics community
▶  Coordinating lecture series and webinars
▶  Building stronger relationships with IASPEI-related groups
▶  Expanding engagement with the Seismological Society of America (SSA)
▶  Encouraging co-sponsored sessions and workshops at international meetings
▶  Re-establishing links with European Seismological Commission (ESC)

Action Item for Members

All members are encouraged to actively promote the commission within their institutions, research groups, and professional networks. Because the “CoVSA” acronym is new and not yet widely recognized, broad community awareness will require active member participation.

Members were also invited to advise leadership regarding effective communication channels and outreach opportunities within their respective scientific communities.

6. Upcoming IUGG Meeting

Leadership emphasized the importance of strong attendance at the upcoming IUGG meeting in South Korea. Participation in IUGG activities directly influences funding and institutional support available to IAVCEI commissions, including CoVSA.