During the past century, more than 100,000 people have died from volcanic eruptions. Volcanic disasters occur with a massive amount emitted volcanic ejecta and toxic gas, and not only with the eruptions and explosions itself.
In 1979, the ancient city Pompeii in Southern Italy vanished with the Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption that occurred 6.2miles (10Km) away from the city. At the time of the eruption, the lava entwined with fallen rock debris and volcanic gas poured out and the pyroclastic flow of 932 to 1,292℉ (500~700 ℃) swept over the city at 80.7 to 111.8 mi/h (130 – 180 km), leaving approximately 16,000 dead. Mt. Pele in the French West Indies of Martinique I. was a record-breaking eruption in 1902. The pyroclastic flow at that time reached Saint Pierre in just 1 to 2 minutes that was 4.9miles (8 kim) away from the volcano and left 28,000 dead.
The toxic gas emitted by a volcano also leaves an incalculable loss of lives. In 1986, the crater lake, Lake Nyos located southwest of Cameroon silently emitted toxic gas during the night. The toxic gas rode in on the south wind and attacked the residents in the village killing 17,000 people overnight.
Damage from global weather change that can occur with volcanic ash
If large volcanic eruptions occur, a massive amount of acidic smog and fine volcanic ash are emitted into the stratosphere. For two days the emission will obscure the sunlight that comes to the earth which cools the earth and exerts a subtle influence on the movement of the atmosphere and the ocean. At the same time, the aerosol also absorbs radiation which increases the normal temperature and damages the ozone layer.
In 1783, when the Laki Volcano in Iceland erupted, Europe and North America suffered from a severe cold wave for two years. There was heavy snow in New England and a record-breaking below freezing weather lasted in Chesapeake Bay. During the volcanic eruption of Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 with an explosion index of 7, the nation could not do proper farm work because of the volcanic ash.
For 3 days the area within a 310.7 mile (500 Km) radius of the volcano was fully blocked from the sunlight and the temperature of the entire world dropped more than 33.8℉ (1 ℃). That year Europe became “The year without a summer,” and the world’s temperature dropped more than 41℉ (5℃). In the case of the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 when the index of sunlight decreased more than 5%. The average northern temperature dropped between 32.9 to 33.08℉ (0.5~0.6℃) and the earth’s overall temperature dropped to 32.72℉(0.4℃).
Reporter Lee Seul [dew@newshankuk.com]
