Volcanoes are amongst the most dreaded natural calamities, as the a hollow mountain top over flows with steaming hot lava.
Here are some interesting volcano facts…
1. Santorini : The eruption of the Greek island of Santorini in c1450 BC, is considered to have been one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions.
2. Vesuvius, Italy : On 24th August AD79, Vesuvius erupted with little warning, engulfing the Roman city of Herculaneum in a mud flow. Nearby Pompeii was buried under a vast layer of pumice and volcanic ash. This preserved the city, in the bodies of many of its inhabitants, till it was excavated by archaeologists in the 19th and 20th centuries.
3. Laki, Iceland : Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on earth. On 11th June 1783, the largest lava flow ever recorded engulfed many villages in a river of lava measuring upto 80 km in length and 30 m in depth. It released poisonous gases that killed those who managed to escape the lava flow.
4. Unsen, Japan : On 1st April 1793, the volcanic island of Unsen completely disappeared under the lave flow.
5. Tambora, Indonesia : On the island of Sumbawa the eruption of tambora, between 5th and 12th April 1815, killed approximately 10,000 people instantly. Another 82,000 died over a period of time due to disease and famine.
6. Krakatoa, Sumatra/Java : The uninhabited island of Krakatoa exploded on 27th August 1883, with what may have been the biggest bang ever heard by humans. People heard it up to a distance of approximately 4,800 km.
7. Mont Pelee, Martinique : Mont Pelee began to erupt in April 1902, after lying dormant for centuries. The volcano finally burst apart on 8th May, showering the port with molten lava, ash and gas, destroying all the buildings and taking a large number of lives.
8. Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia : In 1985, this Andean volcano gave warning signs that it was about to erupt; but the local people were not evacuated soon enough. On 13th November, the hot steam, rocks and ash ejected from Nevado del Ruiz melted its icecap, causing a mudslide. This completely engulfed the town of Armero.
Here are some interesting volcano facts…
1. Santorini : The eruption of the Greek island of Santorini in c1450 BC, is considered to have been one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions.
2. Vesuvius, Italy : On 24th August AD79, Vesuvius erupted with little warning, engulfing the Roman city of Herculaneum in a mud flow. Nearby Pompeii was buried under a vast layer of pumice and volcanic ash. This preserved the city, in the bodies of many of its inhabitants, till it was excavated by archaeologists in the 19th and 20th centuries.
3. Laki, Iceland : Iceland is one of the most volcanically active places on earth. On 11th June 1783, the largest lava flow ever recorded engulfed many villages in a river of lava measuring upto 80 km in length and 30 m in depth. It released poisonous gases that killed those who managed to escape the lava flow.
4. Unsen, Japan : On 1st April 1793, the volcanic island of Unsen completely disappeared under the lave flow.
5. Tambora, Indonesia : On the island of Sumbawa the eruption of tambora, between 5th and 12th April 1815, killed approximately 10,000 people instantly. Another 82,000 died over a period of time due to disease and famine.
6. Krakatoa, Sumatra/Java : The uninhabited island of Krakatoa exploded on 27th August 1883, with what may have been the biggest bang ever heard by humans. People heard it up to a distance of approximately 4,800 km.
7. Mont Pelee, Martinique : Mont Pelee began to erupt in April 1902, after lying dormant for centuries. The volcano finally burst apart on 8th May, showering the port with molten lava, ash and gas, destroying all the buildings and taking a large number of lives.
8. Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia : In 1985, this Andean volcano gave warning signs that it was about to erupt; but the local people were not evacuated soon enough. On 13th November, the hot steam, rocks and ash ejected from Nevado del Ruiz melted its icecap, causing a mudslide. This completely engulfed the town of Armero.
