DANGEROUS VOLCANOES IN THE WORLD

A RE-ERUPTION OF 11 OF THE 1,500 ACTIVE VOLCANOES IS LIKELY TO BE VERY

DEVASTATING, LOCALLY, REGIONALLY, AND GLOBALLY

Dr. Walter Hays,

Global Alliance For Disaster Reduction

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF 1,500 ACTIVE VOLCANOES

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF 1,500 ACTIVE VOLCANOES

11 VOLCANOES THE WORLD HOPES WILL NOT ERUPT AGAIN

• Eyjafjallajökull and Katla (ICELAND)

• Chaiten

• Krakatau

• Merapi

• Vesuvius

• Pinatubo

• Mount Rainier

• Nevada del Ruiz

• Popocatepl

• Nyirangongo (CONGO)

WHAT MAKES A VOLCANO ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS

• Location and a large explosivity index (VEI) combine to make some volcanoes especially dangerous.

LOCATION NEAR CITIES MAKES SOME VOLCANOES VERY DANGEROUS

An eruption at some locations is certain to be devastating to people, their property, their health, the community infra-structure, the environment, and the economy.

The Eyjafjallajökull and Katla Volcanoes: Southern Iceland

EUROPEAN AIR TRAFFIC DISRUPTED: APRIL 15, 2010

The 800-meter fissure caused by the first eruption, which grew to 1.2 km in the second eruption, could be heading towards the Myrdalsjokall

glacier, which sits atop the powerful Katla volcano

An eruption of the Katla volcano, located under the

massive Myrdalsjokull icecap, could cause disastrous local

flooding, explosive blasts, and eruption clouds that would disrupt air traffic between

Europe and the USA.

VOLCANO CHAITEN ERUPTS: CHILE: MAY 3, 2008

CHAITEN ERUPTED AFTER 8,000-10,000 YEAR DORMANCY

•THE 1,200 M (3,550 FT) VOLCANO SENT ASH HIGH INTO THE SKY.• “VOLCANIC EARTHQUAKES WERE TRIGGERED IN THE AREA. •1,500 RESIDENTS EVACUATED, MOSTLY BY BOAT

Krakatau • 26-27 August, 1883 • The big one!

http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Krakatau.htmlhttp://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Krakatau.html

The 1883 Krakatoa Eruption !

Anak Krakatoa—Son of Krakatoa

MOUNT MERAPI: INDONESIA

INDONESIA’S MOUNT MERAPI ERUPTED IN MAY & JUNE, 2006

• Mount Merapi emitted lava, debris, and a pyroclastic flow on May 15, but this one was not devastating.

EXPLOSIVENESS OF JUNE 8 ERUPTION SENT 15,000 FLEEING

MOUNT VESUVIUS: ITALY; A THREAT TO NAPLES

Mount Somma-Vesuvius• Location: Bay

Naples, east of the city of Naples, Italy

• Last eruption: March, 1944

MOUNT FUJI: JAPAN; A THREAT TO TOKYO

MT. PINATUBO: THE PHILIPPINES; JUNE 15, 1991

Pinatubo was the second largest eruption of the 20th century and the

largest to impact a densely populated area.

MOUNT RAINIER: THREAT TO WASHINGTON (USA)

MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR SIMULATION

MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR SIMULATION

MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR SIMULATION

NEVADA DEL RUIZ: COLOMBIA; A 1988 DISASTER

The lahar generated by the eruption of Nevada del Ruiz buried 25,000

people in the city of Armero as they slept.

POPOCATEPL: MEXICO; A THREAT TO MEXICO CITY

Africa's most active volcano.

NYIRANGONGO: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO; A THREAT TO GOMA

ERUPTION OF NYIRANGONGO: JANUARY 2, 2010

WARNING:Don’t forget that the

other 1490 active volcanoes can erupt

anytime, also.