Volcanic Eruption

This project is for those who have DIED in or as a result of a Volcanic Eruption.

Add Geni profiles for anyone who died in a volcanic eruption to this project. You might consider making a project for a specific location & date for a volcano, if you have profiles for it. Then be sure to "relate" that project to this one, and also to the Natural Disasters portal. You may also want to create a related project for Survivors of that volcano ... or of anyone known to have survived a volcano.

Volcanoes are both creators and destroyers.
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods. Volcano eruptions have been known to knock down entire forests. An erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows and rockfalls.

The Pacific Ring of Fire is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions encircling the basin of the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire has 452 volcanoes and is home to over 50% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes. Ninety percent of the world's earthquakes and 81% of the world's largest earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire.

There are about 1500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belt of volcanoes on the ocean floor. About 500 of these have erupted in historical time. Many of these are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the 'Ring of Fire.' In the U.S., volcanoes in the Cascade Range and Alaska (Aleutian volcanic chain) are part of the Ring, while Hawaiian volcanoes form over a 'hot spot' near the center of the Ring.

What are some notable volcano eruptions?

• Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. It's located in southwestern Washington State in the Cascade Range. The blast was heard as far away as Montana, Idaho, Canada and California. Fifty-seven people died and the eruption caused $1.2 billion in damage.
• Krakatoa was a dormant volcano in Indonesia, which awakened and produced one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in 1883. So massive was the eruption that the sound of it was heard as far away as Australia. It’s widely reported as the loudest sound heard in recorded history. The Krakatoa eruption created a huge amount of ash cloud which covered the Earth and reduced global temperatures for 5 years! A total of 40,000 people died in that explosion and an entire chain of the volcanic island was destroyed.
• Mount Pelee was a dormant volcano situated in the Caribbean island of Martinique. It erupted in 1902, in a massive horizontal explosion sending huge clouds of ash released towards the nearby town of Saint-Pierre. The side of the volcano exploded and lava flowed straight into the town, killing 30,000 people in a matter of minutes. It is regarded as one of the biggest and most devastating volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, a benchmark for future eruptions.
• Mount Fujiyama, also popularly known as Mount Fuji, is an active volcano which last erupted in 1708. It is incidentally the tallest mountain in Japan. If you are visiting Tokyo, the capital of Japan, look in the west on a clear day and you will be able to see Mount Fuji. It is an iconic volcano. Mount Fuji is 3,776 meters high and it is snow clad throughout the year, with five lakes surrounding it. Currently in a state of dormancy, there has not been any eruption reported for more than 300 years. The last known eruption lasted for about 3 weeks during which it covered the surrounding villages with ash and cinders. Mount Fuji is now a popular tourist location with a large number of climbers actively scaling the mountain top.

Deadliest Volcanic Eruptions Since 1500 A.D:

• Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia in 1985 -- 25,000 casualties -- Mudflows major cause
• Mont Pelee, Martinique in 1902 -- 29,025 casualties -- Pyroclastic flows major cause
• Krakatau, Indonesia in 1883 -- 36, 417 casualties -- Tsunami major cause
• Tambora, Indonesia in 1815 -- 92,000 casualties -- Starvation major cause
• Unzendake, Japan in 1792 -- 14,030 casualties -- Volcano collapse, Tsunami major cause
• Lakagigar (Laki), Iceland in 1783 -- 9350 casualties -- Starvation major cause
• Kelut, Indonesia in 1586 -- 10,000 casualties --
• Mount Pinatubo in 1991 -- 350 casualties -- Roof collapse major cause
• Mount St Helens, Washington, USA in 1980 -- 57 casualties -- Asphyxiation from ash major cause
• Mount Vesuvius, Italy in 79 AD -- 3,360 casualties -- Pyroclastic Flow major cause

Notable Deaths from Volcanic Eruption

• – List of Volcanic Eruption Deaths
• Pliny the Elder – 56 y/o - Mount Vesuvius in Italy on 24 Aug AD 79
• Caesius Bassus - ? age - Mount Vesuvius in Italy 24 Aug AD 79
• David A Johnston – 30y/o – Mount St Helens in USA on 18 May 1980
• Reid Blackburn – 38 y/o – Mount St Helens in USA on 18 May 1980
• Herry Randall Truman – 83 y/o – Mount St Helens in USA on 18 May 1980
• Omayra Sanchez – 13 y/o – Nevado del Ruiz in Columbia on 16 Nov 1985
• Katia Krafft – 49 y/o – Mount Unzen in Japan on 3 Jun 1991
• Maurice Krafft – 45 y/o – Mount Unzen in Japan on 3 Jun 1991
• Harry Glicken – 33 y/o - Mount Unzen in Japan on 3 June 1991

Links for more info on Volcanoes

• Weather WizKids – Volcanes
• USGS FAQs - Volcanoes General FAQs – 25
• USGS FAQs – Which Volcanic Eruptions were the deadliest?
• Wikipedia – Volcano
• Wikipedia - List of Volcanic Eruptions by death toll
• 2014: The year in Volcanic Activity (Has unique pictures of many aspects of Volcanic activity)
• Volcano definitions

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