Registration form for SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ international conference

Following the First Circular on 19 December 2025, the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) and the Observatoire Volcanologique et Sismologique de Guadeloupe (OVSG-IPGP), Université Paris Cité, and the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique are pleased to invite you to the “SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ InternationalConference”, from July 5 to July 10 2026 in Saint-Claude and Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe.

The phreatic eruption of La Soufrière in Guadeloupe, which lasted from July 1976 to March 1977, profoundly shaped both society and the history of the archipelago. It revealed significant gaps in geological, geophysical, and geochemical knowledge, and underscored the urgent need for a long-term, multiparameter monitoring network to better address the challenges of living alongside an active volcano.

It also underscored the lack of experience in responding to volcanic crises and managing associated risks in a context of scientific uncertainty and the challenges to reach consensus among all actors. Fifty years after, while science, technology, risk management and communications have made giant strides, challenges posed by eruptive hazards, and in particular those generated by phreatic eruptions still remain.

SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ international conference will revisit this eruption and similar events worldwide. It will provide scientists, crisis management experts, and the general public with an opportunity to reflect on half a century of advances in volcanology, risk assessment and management, social sciences, and the ways societies perceive and cope with volcanic threats in times of global change. The program will include scientific lectures, roundtable discussions, and field excursions. In addition, public events will be organized in Saint-Claude and Basse-Terre to bring this fiftieth anniversary to life across the region.

We ambition to impulse a new momentum in the quest of constructing a representation of the volcanic reality shared widely by all stakeholders with the aim of improving risk perception, risk prevention and resilience.

Given that many regions worldwide face volcanic threats and must refine their strategies for coexisting with such risks, we believe the constructive outcomes of this conference will extend far beyond Guadeloupe and the Caribbean.

We look forward to welcoming you to Guadeloupe in 2026 and sharing experiences during this landmark event.

With kind regards,

Marc Chaussidon, Director, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, CNRS
The SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ Coordinators
The SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ Scientific Committee
The SOUFRIÈRE₅₀ Local Organizing Committee