What happens to the towns around a volcano when it erupts?
Kristine
Dear Kristine,
What happens to the towns around a volcano when it erupts depends on many
things. It depends of the size and type of eruption and the size and
location of the town. A few examples might help. The 1984 eruption of
Mauna Loa in Hawaii sent lava towards Hilo but the eruption stopped
before the flows reached the town. The 1973 eruption of Heimaey in
Iceland buried much of the nearby town of Heimaey under lava and cinder.
The 1960 eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii buried all of the nearby town of
Kapoho under lava and cinder. In 1980, ash from Mount St. Helens fell on
many towns in Washington and Oregon. The 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee on
the island of Martinique destroyed the town of Saint Pierre with
pyroclastic flows. In 1985, the town of Armero was partially buried by
lahars generated on Ruiz. For more examples see Decker and Decker (1989).
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
Source of Information:
Decker, R., and Decker, B., 1989, Volcanoes: W.H. Freeman, New York, 285 p.
Other Categories
Other Questions
To VolcanoWorld