Evaluating Public Perception of Communication Effectiveness by USGS Volcanoes Social Media Accounts During Kīlauea’s 2018 Eruption

Abstract:

Responsive and empathic communication of factual information by scientists and hazard responders is critical for maintaining public trust and bolstering community resilience during natural hazard crises. The 2018 eruption of Hawaiʻi’s Kīlauea Volcano produced hazards at both the summit caldera and lower East Rift Zone, which were some of the largest of their kind in the last 200 years. This eruption was also the first in which U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) social media communications played a major role in providing reliable, around-the-clock, eruption information to the public. This study evaluates the public’s perception of @USGSVolcanoes social media communications by analyzing posts on @USGSVolcanoes social media platforms, public comments and questions, and follow-up responses by USGS. We use the Python programming language and the social-science software package Nvivo to perform a mixed quantitative and qualitative analysis of @USGSVolcanoes Facebook and Twitter communications that span the entire observed duration of the eruption (April 30 to September 4, 2018).

Applying existing theories on language-positivity analysis and collective sensemaking, we collate and interpret in-context key words and phrases to assess the ability of @USGSVolcanoes posts, comments, and replies to provide timely hazards information and reduce public anxiety. We also evaluate how well followers were educated in topics related to volcanic processes and hazards by quantifying the public’s repetition of information provided by @USGSVolcanoes’ posts and comments. Finally, we assess the @USGSVolcanoes communications team’s ability to combat misinformation by tracking the duration and propagation of false theories and other misleading statements. We complement this analysis with data from January 2020 in-person interviews of Hawaiʻi County residents who lived in areas impacted by the eruption. The interviews address the quality of information received from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, @USGSVolcanoes social media, news media, and locally organized web and social media groups during the 2018 eruption. Our combined analyses provide lessons for USGS hazards communication strategies and valuable insights, which can be employed by other U.S. and international hazards and emergency organizations.