Scientists

If you have some questions or if you would like more information about the GORISK Scientific Network, Virunga volcanoes or volcano-tectonic activity in the Kivu basin, please do not hesitate to contact us.

You can also contact members of the GORISK Scientific Network personally.

Scientists of the Goma Volcano Observatory

The Goma Volcano Observatory is a national Congolese scientific institute dedicated to the monitoring of Congolese Virunga volcanoes. The GVO scientists record parameters of volcanic activity in order to prevent eruption and avoid disaster.

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Contacts:
General Director: Katcho KARUME
Scientific Director: Deogratias KAVOTHA

Dr. Nicolas D’OREYE

Department of Geophysics & Astrophysics
National Museum of Natural History – LUXEMBOURG

European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology – LUXEMBOURG

N. d’Oreye is geophysicist, expert in instrumentation and ground deformation monitoring by means of terrestrial techniques with a 20 years long experience in the field. In charge of the Walferdange Underground Laboratory for Geodynamics in Luxembourg since 1994 he has also a long experience of the maintenance, the development and qualification of instruments as well as data analysis and interpretation.
In 2005 he started a pole of research at the MNHN for the use of Satellite Radar interferometry (InSAR) techniques. Since then he developed and ensures the systematic InSAR monitoring of some active African volcanoes mainly in Cameron, Cape Verde, Tanzania and DR of Congo.

Contact: ndo@ecgs.lu

Personal page

Dr. François KERVYN

Department of Earth Sciences
Royal Museum for Central Africa – BELGIUM

F. Kervyn is a senior scientist of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) for more than 12 years. In 2011, he became head of the Cartography & Remote Sensing Unit of the Earth Sciences Department. As a geologist, his expertise is the range of optical and radar Remote Sensing, GIS and Structural Geology. He was until recently in charge of a two years EU funded project in Goma (DRC) dedicated to the setup of a GIS Centre. He has a long field experience in Africa, mainly in East and Central parts (Tanzania, Uganda, DRC, etc.).

Contact: francois.kervyn@africamuseum.be

Benoît SMETS

European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology – LUXEMBOURG

Vrije Universiteit Brussel – BELGIUM

Department of Earth Sciences
Royal Museum for Central Africa – BELGIUM

B. Smets is a geologist specialized in geo-hazard assessment and management. From 2007 to 2011, he worked as junior scientist at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium, where he has acquired a 5-years field experience in central Africa and especially in the Virunga Volcanic Province (VVP). His research is mainly focused on the combined use of 2D/3D remote sensing, GIS and field surveys to study and monitor volcanic activity and related hazards in the VVP.
He is currently developing a PhD research funded by the National Research Fund of Luxembourg (AFR Grant n°3221321) under the supervision of Dr. Nicolas d’Oreye (European Center for Geodynamics & Seismology, Luxembourg), Prof. M. Kervyn (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium) and Dr. François Kervyn (Royal Museum for Central Africa, Belgium), entitled: “Dynamics of volcanic activity and lava flow hazard of Nyiragongo volcano (North Kivu, DR Congo) studied by means of remote sensing, ground-based monitoring and numerical modeling”.

Contact: benoit@ecgs.lu / benoit.smets@vub.ac.be / benoit.smets@africamuseum.be

Personal page

Caroline MICHELLIER

Department of Earth Sciences
Royal Museum for Central Africa – BELGIUM

Contact: caroline.michellier@africamuseum.be

Personal page

Dr. Fabien ALBINO

Department of Earth Sciences
Royal Museum for Central Africa – BELGIUM

Contact: fabien.albino@africamuseum.be

Ir. Gilles CELLI

Department of Geophysics & Astrophysics
National Museum of Natural History – LUXEMBOURG
European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology – LUXEMBOURG