Mount-Pelee.com

THIERRY D. LESALES, PhD
Geographer and Webmaster

Volcano lover, born in Martinique, grew up in Morne-Rouge, on the flank of Mount Pelee

· Experienced researcher
· Strong background in Earth Sciences and Human Geography
· Skilled in Map Design and Analysis, GIS
· Languages: French, English and Spanish

Research interest: Natural hazards, Vulnerability and risk assessment,
Impacts of Disasters, Mitigation strategies, Sustainable development

EDUCATION

Doctorate in Geography, University of the French Antilles (2005).
- Dissertation topic, "Vulnerability of societies exposed to volcanic hazards in the Lesser Antilles." - Honorable Mention.
Martinique Regional Council Doctoral Scholarship
Advisor: Professor Maurice Burac, Research Center in Geography, Development and Environment of the Caribbean (Geode Caraïbe, E.A. 929).

Master of Science in Geography, with honors - University of the French Antilles (1995).
Thesis topic: "Prospects for assessing and mitigating volcanic risk: the case of Mount Pelée, Martinique". - U.A.G. 142p.

4 Year Graduate degree in Geography, with honors - University of the French Antilles (1993).
Thesis topic: "Landslides, their impacts on man and development: the case of Martinique". - U.A.G. 143p. + Annexes

Bachelor of Science in Geography, University of the French Antilles (1992)

COMPUTER PROFICIENCY

- MS Office and Open Office (Word processing, spreadsheets, presentations…), desktop publishing (Publisher, Scribus, Page Maker…)
- GIS softwares : MapInfo and Arcview - Training with ESRI-France (2004): Arcview levels I and II + introduction to ArcEditor and ArcInfo Desktop.
- Graphics softwares : Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
- Web publishing : Macromedia Dreamweaver, Nvu, experience with CMS.

PROFESSIONNAL EXPERIENCE

· International Consultant, Managing Director of a consulting company - 2008-2009

· Visiting Scholar, Center for Hazards Research and Policy Development, University of Louisville, Kentucky. - 2006
- Collaboration with Y. Vozos and J. Convington; Contributions to the State of Kentucky Hazards Mitigation Strategic Plan Update. Analysis of 16 Area Development Districts Plans, correlation and integration into the State Plan.

· Teaching and Research Associate, Geography department, University of the French Antilles, Martinique - 1996/1999 - 2003/2004
- Taught undergraduate introductory courses in Human and Physical Geography, and graduate courses in natural hazards;
- Organized fieldtrips: planning of budget and group activities;
- As a member of a safety awareness committee, worked on a seismic evacuation drill on campus; originated and conducted an exhibition on seismic hazard.

· Research Associate, GEODE-Caraïbe - 2001-2003
- Responsible for various research programs and contracts including: The implementation of a volcanic hazards prevention plan for Martinique, proposals and negotiations with stakeholders; Assessment of the perception of volcanic hazards by the communities at risk (Collaboration with F. Leone).

· Consultant, Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters / European Community Humanitarian Office - 1997
- Collaborated with R. D'Ercole and P. Pigeon in a diagnosis study for the implementation of a disaster preparedness program in the Caribbean.
- Duties included missions in Developing Countries such as Barbados, Antigua, Jamaica, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Guyana; performed a broad range of tasks such as interviews with Government officials, Public Organizations and NGO's representatives; data collection and analysis of diverse economic, administrative, and technical documents.
Report available on-line: http://www.disaster.info.desastres.net/dipecho/study/study1.html

· Chargé de Mission, International Center for Exchanges and Training in Geosciences - CIFEG - , France - 1996
- Conducted a 3 week mission in Montserrat (British West-Indies). Studied the impact of volcanic crisis; identified factors of vulnerability; originated, designed and conducted a survey on crisis management and perception of hazards.
- Conducted a 6 week mission in Southern Peru. Studied the emergency management system, volcanic crisis and earthquake impacts in the region of Arequipa; also identified elements of vulnerability (social and economic factors, land use, perception of hazards).

· Research Associate, summer internships, BRGM (French Geological Survey) - 1992/1994
- Performed a historical survey on landslides in Martinique (French West-Indies) and for a study on the management of Mount Pelée's volcanic crisis.
- Duties included definition of methodology, data collection reviewing archives on 19th and 20th century, fieldwork, interviews, analysis of vulnerability.
- Assisted a survey on volcanic hazard perception (interviews, data entry, and analysis).

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Peer reviewed Journals

LEONE F. & LESALES T. (2009) – « The interest of cartography for a better perception and management of volcanic risk: From scientific to social representations The case of Mt. Pelée volcano, Martinique (Lesser Antilles) » - in « Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research », vol 186, pp. 186-194.

LEONE F. & LESALES T. (2008) - « L'évaluation intégrée du risque volcanique. Application à la montagne Pelée (Martinique) – in : Pagney Benito-Espinal (Ed) - Les interfaces ruptures, transitions et mutations, coll. Espaces tropicaux. Presses Universitaires de Bordeaux

LESALES Th. ; SIMPSON D. ; HUMAN J. (2007) - “Creating Disaster Resistant Universities in the Caribbean” – in « Etudes Caribéennes » vol. 7, volume spécial risques naturels dans la Caraïbe. Université des Antilles et de la Guyane. http://etudescaribeennes.revues.org/document294.html

LESALES Th. (2007) – “La disparité des territoires insulaires exposés aux risques volcaniques dans les Petites Antilles” – in: « Etudes Caribéennes » vol. 7, volume spécial risques naturels dans la Caraïbe. Université des Antilles et de la Guyane. http://etudescaribeennes.revues.org/document316.html

BURAC M. ; LESALES Th. (2007) - « La notion de risques naturels du point de vue géographique » in : Virassamy G. (Ed) – L'entreprise confrontée aux risques naturels, Travaux du CERJDA, vol. 6. Paris : l'Harmattan. pp. 9-17

LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. (2006) – Des cartes pour gérer le risque volcanique à la Martinique (Antilles françaises) – Revue Internationale de Géomatique, vol. 16/3-4, pp. 341-358.

LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. (2006) – “De l'intérêt de la cartographie pour comprendre, évaluer et gérer le risque volcanique en Martinique (Antilles françaises)“ – in : Terres d’Amérique : La Caraïbe : données environnementales ;Géode Caraïbe, 2006. pp. 203-237

LESALES Th. (2004) - "L'île de la Dominique (arc des Petites Antilles), un cas extrême d'exposition aux menaces volcaniques : une approche géographique de la vulnérabilité en contexte insulaire" - in : Bulletin de l'A.G.F. 81e Année. No. 1. Mars 2004. p. 93-102

LESALES Th. (1999) - "Zone d'abri et zone à risque : des notions-clés dans la gestion des crises volcaniques dans les Petites Antilles : les cas de la Soufrière Hills (Montserrat) et de la montagne Pelée (Martinique)" - in : Terres d'Amérique ; Géode Caraïbe, 1999. pp.145-164

LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. (1999) - "Les phénomènes de mouvements de terrain : typologie en général et conditions d'occurrence en Martinique" - in : Terres d'Amérique ; Géode -Caraïbe, 1999. pp.81-96

LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. (1999)- "Un aperçu de l'impact humain et économique des mouvements de terrain en Martinique, en France et dans le monde" - in : Terres d'Amérique ; Géode Caraïbe, 1999. pp.97-113

Journals with internal review committee
LESALES Th. (1997) - "La crise éruptive de la Soufrière de Montserrat (Antilles britanniques) : vulnérabilité et gestion des risques dans un espace insulaire" - in : Pangea, n°27/28, juin/décembre 1997 pp. 13-24. CIFEG- .

Book Chapter
LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. (2004) - "Des cartes pour comprendre, évaluer et gérer le risque volcanique en Martinique (Antilles françaises): de l'intérêt de la cartographie en géographie des risques naturels" in : La Géographie des risques dans le monde (sous la dir. de Wackermann G.) Ed. Ellipses, coll. Carrefours - Les Dossiers. - pp. 113-125

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

RANÇON JPh. ; D'ERCOLE R. ; LESALES Th. - Living Close to an Active Volcano : Popular Hazard Perception in Three Communities of North Martinique (F.W.I.) Poster presented during the XXI General Assembly of Volcanology, July 2-14 1995, Boulder, Colorado.

LESALES Th. - Voies de communication et risques naturels à la Martinique. Paper presented during the workshop "Mobilité des populations et organisation des transports dans les petits pays insulaires, le cas de la Martinique et de l'archipel guadeloupéen" ; Schoelcher, December 1995, Géode-Caraïbe.

LESALES Th. ; D'ERCOLE R. ; LEONE F. - L'éruption de la Soufriere Hills, Montserrat (W.I.) : Une petite île des Antilles face à la crise. Paper presented during the 2nd Latin-American workshop "Volcanes, Sismos y Prevencion" ; Lima - Arequipa, November 4-9 1996, Peru Geophysical Institute, Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil, ORSTOM.

LESALES Th. - Estudio comparativo de la vulnerabilidad ante los riesgos volcánicos : el caso de Montserrat - Antillas -, y el caso de Arequipa - Andes ; Paper presented at the Geographic Sciences Department, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Lima, Peru), November 1996.

LESALES Th. - Quelques éléments de vulnérabilité de la société martiniquaise aux risques volcaniques ; Paper presented during the Regional Workshop "Insularité et développement durable : le cas de la Martinique" ; Hotel Méridien, December 9-13 1996.

D'ERCOLE R. ; LESALES Th. - Diagnostic Study for the Implementation of the DIPECHO Programme in the Caribbean ; Paper presented during the regional Consultation CRED / ECHO " Disaster preparedness in the Caribbean : achievements, gaps and future directions " ; Kingston, Jamaica, December 4 1997.

LESALES Th. - The Eruption of Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, B.W.I. : Vulnerability of an Insular Space, and Management of the Early Stage of the Volcanic Crisis (1995-1996) ; Paper presented at the Euroconferences "Control and Management of Major Natural Risks : Volcanic risk, Prevention, Protection and Management ", Catania, Sicily, Italy - October 19-23 1998.

LESALES Th. - Safe Zone and Danger Zone, Key Notions in the Management of Volcanic Crisis in the Lesser Antilles : The Case of Mount Pelee (Martinique) and Soufriere Hills (Montserrat). Paper accepted for the 3rd Conference on Natural Hazards, " Caribbean Disaster Management in the 21st Century ", Barbados, October 13-15 1999.

LESALES Th. - La perception et la prise en compte du risque volcanique en milieu insulaire, le cas des populations du Nord de la Martinique. Paper presented during the workshop " volcan et mentalités ", Basse-Pointe, Martinique, June 29 2002

LESALES Th. - L'île de la Dominique, un cas extrême d'exposition aux menaces volcaniques : une approche géographique de la vulnérabilité en contexte insulaire. Paper presented during the conference by the Association des Géographes Français, " Risques naturels, risques de société notamment en montagne ", Clermont-Ferrand, February 1st 2003

LESALES Th. - Une approche de la vulnérabilité au risque volcanique dans les Petites Antilles, et particulièrement à la Dominique. Paper presented during the workshop " Approches du risque volcanique ", Laboratoire Rhôdanien de Géographie de l'Environnement, Université Lumière - Lyon 2, May 9 2003.

LESALES Th. - Des sociétés inégales face au risque cyclonique, une approche géographique de la vulnérabilité dans les Petites Antilles. Paper presented during the workshop " Méthode de retour d'expérience dans l'arc des Petites Antilles ", Guadeloupe, october 7-8 2003.

LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. ; GAILLARD JC. - A GIS-based integrated approach for the assessment of volcanic risk. Paper presented during the GEOCON 2004 - 17th Annual Convention of the Geological Society of the Philippines. December 8-10 2004. Quezon City, Philippines.

SARANT P-M ; SCHICK O. ; ASSELIN de BEAUVILLE C. ; PONTIKIS C. ; PAGNEY F. ; KOUSSOULIN-BONETON A. ; de VANSSAY B. ; COLBEAU-JUSTIN L. ; LEONE F. ; LESALES Th. - Retour d'expérience sur la prise de décision et le jeu des acteurs : le cas du cyclone Lenny dans les Petites Antilles. - Poster presented during the conference " Evaluation et Prise en Compte des risques naturels et technologiques (EPR), Paris, June 16-17 2005.

LEONE F ; LESALES Th. - L'évaluation intégrée du risque volcanique : application à la montagne Pelée. Paper presented during the " XIè Journées de Géographie Tropicale : les Interfaces : ruptures, transitions et mutations ", Schoelcher, November 7-10 2005.

LESALES Th. - Des îles en sursis : une approche de la vulnérabilité aux risques volcaniques dans l'arc des Petites Antilles. Poster presented during the " XIè Journées de Géographie Tropicale : les Interfaces : ruptures, transitions et mutations ", Schoelcher, November 7-10 2005.

BURAC M. ; LESALES Th. - La notion de risques naturels du point de vue géographique. Introductive paper presented during the Conference " L'entreprise face aux risques naturels ", Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Juridiques en Droit des Affaires Schoelcher, November 25 2005.

PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS FOR SCIENTIFIC VULGARISATION

- Le désastre de la Pelée : un récit de voyage et d'observation à la Martinique (mai-juin 1902) - Translation and Introduction of the original book by G. Kennan " The Tragedy of Pelee " (1902) - Matoury : Ibis Rouge Editions, 2002. 162p.

- " Les enjeux de la gestion de futures éruptions " in : Saint-Pierre : 100 ans, 1902-2002, volume France-Antilles hors-série, May 2002. pp. 48-49

- " La Pelée : bombe à retardement ou moteur de développement ? " in : Saint-Pierre : 100 ans, 1902-2002, volume France-Antilles hors-série, May 2002. pp. 64-65

- Scientific presenter of the exhibit " Les volcans, la vie de la Terre " (March 2002) : demonstrations, explanations of the display and its interactive experiments to the general public and numerous students groups.

- " L'éruption de la Soufrière de Montserrat : Leçons d'une crise de type péléen ". Public talk given at La Maison des Volcans, Morne-Rouge, July 28 1998.

- " Eruption de la Soufrière de Montserrat : aspects volcanologiques et impact sur la population ". [collaboration with J-P. VIODE, director of the Mount Pelee Volcano Observatory]. Public talk given during the cycle of the C.C.S.T.I. conferences; Fort-de-France, September 1996.

RECENT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Founder and Webmaster of mount-pelee.com (All about Mt Pelée Volcano!)

Member of the Association Française pour la Prévention des Catastrophes Naturelles (AFPCN, France).
Contribution to the post-disaster survey of the November 21st 2004 earthquake, in the archipelago of Les Saintes, (Guadeloupe, French Antilles).

Member of the Association Ornithologique de la Martinique, (AOMA)
Project coordinator for implementing the eBird program in Martinique.
Contributions to the design and set up of the website.

Member of the Alliance Française de Louisville.
Editor of a bi-monthly newsletter.
Contributions to the Club de conversation.

Volunteer for the Natural Resources Conservation Services, USDA regional office for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana (Madison, WI) 2002-2003.
Contributions to Wetland mapping.
Contributions to the processing of the 2001 census.
Contributions to the preparation of the 2003 census.
Recipient of a W.I.B.A-Total award for outstanding service to the community.

Certified Scuba diver (FSGT Niveau IV - CMAS 3*)

Travel: Caribbean (Barbados, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent-and-the-Grenadines, Grenada, Guadeloupe, St. Marteen, Antigua, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Haiti, Jamaica)
South America (Guyana, Peru)
USA - Midwest (Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio) Pacific coast (Oregon, southern Washington).
Kenya
Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium)