My second grade class has been studying volcanoes. They heard most
people who die from volcanoes are asleep. They would like to know why the
explosion from the volcano would not wake up the people in time for them
to get to safety.
Mrs. Wilson's 2nd Grade Class
Dear Mrs. Wilson's 2nd Grade Class,
I think you are a smart class. You are right that sometimes the
explosions from a volcano wake people up. Sometimes there are
earthquakes too. It is not a pleasant thought but most of the people die
from pyroclastic flows (hot clouds of ash), tsunami (waves generates when
the volcano pushes against the ocean), and starvation (due to crop
damage). Sometimes pyroclastic flows and tsunami can happen quickly and
without warning. People have no time to escape. Pyroclastic flows can
arrive before the people have a chance to move to a safe place. A
tsunami can be generated from a distant volcano. Fortunately,
volcanologists are getting better at predicting eruptions and people are
more aware of the dangers of living on or near volcanoes.
Thank you for a good question.
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
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