EIR2026/00034: Timeline of volcanic activity of Fuego volcano, Guatemala 2015-2024
Case reference EIR2026/00034
Received 19 January 2026
Published 12 February 2026
Request
Request Received: 19 January 2026
I'm interested to recent/current volcanic activity at (somehow) global scale with remote sensing technique (thermal data) and currently I work with volcanology investigating open-vent basaltic volcanism. In this view, I'm really interested to the comprehensive dataset compiled about the latest decadal activity occured at Fuego volcano. As a consequence, I request the chance to investigate and read the dataset below.
Item ID 189479
Title Timeline of volcanic activity of Fuego volcano, Guatemala 2015-2024
Description Database of volcanic activity at Fuego volcano, Guatemala from 2015 to 2024.
Response
Response Sent: 12 February 2026
Thank you for your request made under the Freedom of Information Act. The information you have requested is environmental in nature and therefore we have considered it under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
We can confirm that BGS does hold this data. It is data that has been deposited in the National Geoscience Data Centre (NGDC) under the terms of a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) grant agreement for which an agreed 2 year embargo period was imposed on the data. This is to protect the research process and allow researchers a reasonable time to work up their datasets and publish their findings. The grant holder therefore has deposited the data in the NGDC as they are required to do, but they are still completing their research.
For this reason, we find that in this case the exception to release, 12(4)(d) ‘The request relates to material which is still in the course of completion, to unfinished documents or to incomplete data’ applies. The data requested has been created as part of a project funded by a NERC Grant. The agreement between NERC and the grant holder includes an embargo period on releasing the data as per NERC policy to support science process and scientific publishing. The embargo is in place to enable the person who created the data to finish their research and publish. BGS acknowledges that the data requested is complete in itself, but believes that the request still relates to material which is still in the course of completion and to unfinished documents. The NERC grant was not awarded just for the creation of data, but it is awarded in order that the grant holder will complete a scheme of research work and then publish. NERC recognises that the grant holder who has put their time into creating the data does so only in order to complete their research and publish with a view to developing their professional reputation. The data will be available from September 2027.
In applying the exception to regulation 12(4)(d), BGS needs to consider the public interest test when considering whether to release the data.
Public interest in favour of disclosure
-
There is a general public interest in the disclosure of this information to ensure transparency and openness of a public organisation
-
The general principle of enabling public access to information that affects, or is likely to affect, the environment is the starting point for consideration of the public interest test, and it normally advocates release as a starting point.
-
There is a benefit of furthering scientific research in an area of active and hazardous volcanoes with implications for volcanic hazards.
Public interest in favour of withholding the information
-
The NGDC is a national place of deposit for geological data to be held in the long term for the benefit of all. If NERC releases the information and does not honour the embargo periods it implements (to give scientists the opportunity to complete their research before giving the benefit of their data to others) then scientists will be dissuaded from depositing their data in the NGDC, meaning no one will benefit from the data in the long term.
-
Prematurely releasing the data gathered by the researcher into the public domain before September 2027 would add undue time pressure to the scheme of research work and publications as anyone could publish their findings from the data before them and gain the professional advantage. This time pressure would be detrimental to the quality and integrity of the science.
-
Releasing the information before the end of the embargo period is likely to damage the possibility of ongoing relationships with researchers and NERC. Relationships may become untenable if researchers cannot be certain that their research data will remain protected until the agreed embargo period is over. This would fundamentally undermine the role of NERC as the UK’s largest funder of independent environmental science.
BGS feels that the public interest in maintaining trust with the research community and therefore being able to acquire data that will be available to all in the long term outweighs the public interest in making data available within the embargo period, therefore the outcome of this test is that the public interest is insufficient to justify immediate disclosure.
If you have any further queries relating to the study and research data we would recommend you contact the scientist to discuss it with them. We have spoken to them and they are willing to be put in touch should you wish to discuss it. If this is of interest and if you need our help to arrange it, please contact us at enquiries@bgs.ac.uk, from a private email address, quoting the reference number above.
If you have any queries regarding our response or you are unhappy with the outcome of your request and wish to seek an internal review of the decision, please contact:
Head of Information Governance
Email: foi@ukri.org
Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are still not content with the outcome of the internal review, you may apply to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the review procedure provided by UKRI. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: https://ico.org.uk/
If you wish to raise a complaint regarding the service you have received or the conduct of any UKRI staff in relation to your request, please see UKRI’s complaints policy: https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/contact-us/make-a-complaint/
Kind regards
The BGS Enquiries Service
Documents
This is UK Research and Innovation's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.