TOPCANO: The Origins and Hazards of Paektu/Changbaishan Volcano

Summary: A newly funded project to deploy a cross-border network of seismometers around Paektu/Changbaishan Volcano. This 2 year deployment will be the first purposely designed cross-border network aiming to provide higher resolution images of the crust and mantle and answer questions on the origins of the volcano. We will also conduct reconnaissance mapping of other volcanic centres in northern DPRK.

Organisations involved:

  • Birkbeck, University of London
  • China Earthquake Administration
  • Earthquake Administration, DPRK
  • Kim Il Sung University
  • Pyongyang International Information Centre of New Technology and Economy (PIINTEC)
  • State Academy of Science, DPRK
  • University of Cambridge
a) Existing (triangles) and proposed seismic stations (circles). b) Miocene-Holocene volcanism associated with Paektu/Changbaishan with main volcanic centres (red triangles) (MPC = Mt. Paektu/Changbaishan, MS = Mt. Sobaek, W = Wangtian’e, N = Nampothae, PH = Paek Hwang, S = Sollyong) that will be the target of this study.