Buzz
Researchers break down complex concepts to make volcanoes easier to understand for the general public. But, in reality, it's much more intricate.
Each volcano has its own distinct traits. Volcanologists need to familiarize themselves with the unique 'character' and background of each when assessing risks to nearby communities.
However, with limited resources, how do researchers prioritize which volcanoes to study? The answer lies in this: When the United Nations declared the 1990s as the International Decade of Natural Hazard Reduction, volcanologists chose to focus on 16 volcanoes—two from the US, Japan, and Italy, and one from each of 10 other nations.
One of these Decade Volcanoes—Taal in the Philippines—is currently making headlines.
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16. Taal Volcano, Philippines
Taal made global headlines with its explosive eruption in January 2020. The situation remains unpredictable, so for now, we’ll focus on it as a Decade Volcano.
Over 20 million people reside near Taal, which is located just 30 miles south of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The sheer human risk alone was enough to make Taal a Decade Volcano in the 1990s. Additionally, Taal has been highly active over the centuries, with a few powerful eruptions in ancient times that created calderas (basically large depressions in the ground) which later filled with Lake Taal.
Effective communication plays a vital role in volcanology as well. Scientists and local planners collaborated through the Decade Volcano initiative to restrict heavy development within the caldera. This early planning has likely helped ease the management of the ongoing crisis.
15. Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Russia
Population at risk: Over 200,000 people live within a 62-mile (100 km) radius of these two volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East. Last known eruption: Avachinsky, 2001; Koryaksky, 2009
The upside of living dangerously close to an active volcano? The excitement you get during calm periods! For example, the people in this video hiked to the summit of Avachinsky on a clear day and enjoyed stunning views of the nearby Koryaksky volcano.
Avachinsky looks so stable, it's hard to imagine that it sometimes collapses. However, Petropavlosk, the largest city in Kamchatka, was built on the remnants of such a prehistoric disaster. Mudflows and lava are the more probable threats, and either volcano could experience them. Petropavlosk is so remote that its residents would have to rely on land and sea for help during a volcanic crisis.
14. Colima, Mexico
Population at risk: 1.5 million people Last known eruption: 2019
Colima, a complex volcanic system located near the western coast of Mexico, poses numerous risks, including threats to nearby population centers. One of the major dangers is its frequent explosive eruptions, like the one captured in 2017 by monitoring cameras.
Most Decade Volcanoes are situated in subduction zones, which are typically associated with explosive volcanic activity. These eruptions bring about violent blasts, ballistic rocks, lava bombs, and pyroclastic flows. As seen in Colima, such eruptions can even start wildfires. Additionally, Colima has experienced several large debris slides throughout history.
Following its inclusion on the Decade Volcano list, new hazard maps were created for Colima, and its monitoring station was upgraded for better response and tracking.
13. Etna, Italy
Population at risk: A quarter of Sicily’s entire population resides on the slopes of Etna. Last eruption: 2020
Everyone's familiar with this one! Etna is a UNESCO World Heritage site and boasts one of the longest eruption records of any active volcano, stretching back around 3,500 years. Its breathtaking lava flows are a big reason why Etna was chosen as a Decade Volcano.
The video above was shot in 2011 near the town of Zafferna, which owes its continued existence to a coordinated effort in 1992 that successfully blocked and diverted a lava flow threatening to engulf the area.
Such achievements are rare during volcanic events. Lava flows and occasional hydrothermal explosions are the main dangers at Etna. But Sicily also depends heavily on Etna tourism and the agricultural products grown on the volcano, meaning any heightened volcanic activity would also harm the economy.
12. Galeras, Colombia
Population at risk: Nearly two million people Last known eruption: 2014
A tragic event occurred at this flat-topped stratovolcano in 1993, when some tourists and six volcanologists, who were attending a Decade Volcano workshop, lost their lives in an unexpected eruption. Despite close monitoring of Galeras' activity before and during the field trip, no one had ever observed the seismic signals known as 'tornillos' that preceded the blast.
Today, tornillos are recognized as warning signs of impending explosive activity, a scientific breakthrough that came at a tragic cost. Galeras remains one of Colombia's most active volcanoes. In 2008, its explosive display lit up the sky above the city of Pasto. The risks include debris flows, major eruptions with thick ash fall, and pyroclastic flows.
11. Mauna Loa, USA
Population at risk: 175,000 people Last known eruption: 1984
You might think Mauna Loa is just the long, low mountain next to Kilauea, the Hawaiian volcano that erupted spectacularly in 2018. In reality, Mauna Loa is the tallest active volcano on Earth, rising nearly six miles above the Pacific seafloor. It also experiences frequent eruptions, with a lava flow coming within five miles of Hilo in 1984.
Lava is the primary hazard here, though Mauna Loa has experienced some flank collapses in the distant past. Luckily, the Hawaiian Islands are far from a subduction zone, and eruptions here are generally not as explosive.
Volcanologists are closely monitoring Mauna Loa, as it seems to be slowly building toward another eruption. However, there’s no reason yet to raise the alert level beyond its current state (yellow, the lowest warning level).
10. Mount Merapi, Indonesia
Population: Nearly 25 million people Last known eruption: 2019
Merapi has been the focus of significant international collaboration during the Decade Volcano program. As one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, it lies in a densely populated area. Eruptions at Merapi are violent, often accompanied by long-lasting pyroclastic flows.
In addition to the terrifying gray death clouds, Merapi's dangers include lahars (Indonesian for mudflows) and massive landslides. The most devastating eruption in recent history occurred in 2010, claiming over 100 lives.
9. Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Population at risk: Over nine million people live within 62 miles (100 km) of Nyiragongo, with about a million people residing less than 20 miles from the summit. Last known eruption: 2019
This African volcano has a flat summit similar to Galeras in South America. Unlike Galeras, Nyiragongo has hosted lava lakes for centuries. This creates a deadly hazard, as the lakes empty every few decades, and the highly fluid lava can travel long distances, even reaching the nearby city of Goma.
This has occurred twice in recent history: first during the civil war in 1994, and then again in 2002, when it claimed the lives of around 150 people and caused massive destruction. Sadly, warfare and social issues have hindered the work of international volcanologists, but local efforts continue to research and monitor this Decade Volcano.
8. Mount Rainier, USA
Population at risk: Nearly three million people Last known eruption: 1450 AD (Though there have been reports of eruptions in the 1800s, they remain unverified.)
This world-famous landmark near Seattle, Washington, last erupted with significant force (a VEI 4 eruption) about 2,200 years ago. However, the danger doesn’t end there. Mount Rainier, being heavily glaciated, is prone to collapses that trigger massive mudflows. This phenomenon hasn’t occurred during recorded history.
The people of Armero, Colombia, weren’t so lucky in 1985. While their ice-covered volcano, Nevado del Ruiz, didn’t collapse, its lava melted the summit glaciers, sending a deadly mudflow that swallowed Armero and surrounding towns, resulting in over 23,000 fatalities.
Despite numerous warnings, the outcome was still a shock. Thousands lost their lives when a short run to safety could have spared them. The Armero disaster played a significant role in launching both the UN's hazard reduction initiative and the Decade Volcano program.
Due to increased focus, Mount Rainier now benefits from improved monitoring systems and more comprehensive hazard mapping. Legislation has been introduced to limit future development in high-risk areas and raise public awareness. Yet, many locals remain in denial, which is sadly understandable: it’s human nature to believe such a tragedy can’t strike until it does.
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7. Sakurajima, Japan
Population at risk: 2.6 million people Last known eruption: 2019
You might not be familiar with this volcano, located on the same island as the famous Mount Fuji, but much further south. Fuji-san poses a serious threat to Tokyo, which has been the focus of intense study. The Decade Volcano committee may have chosen Sakurajima instead, as this less well-known yet perilous volcano hasn’t been the subject of as much attention. After all, you haven’t witnessed such dramatic events occurring in Tokyo recently.
That 2013 footage highlights one of the many risks faced by residents of Kagoshima City, just under five miles from Sakurajima. Sakurajima was originally an island in Kagoshima Bay until 1914, when a violent eruption triggered lava flows that merged the island with the mainland.
Today, thousands of people reside in this region. Local children even wear hard hats on their way to school, just in case they have to dodge falling stones.
6. Santa Maria/Santiaguito, Guatemala
Population at risk: 6,200,000 people Last eruption: 2019
This isn’t a case of two separate volcanoes like Avachinsky and Koryaksky in Kamchatka.
Here, 'Santa Maria' refers to the stratovolcano, and 'Santiaguito' is the name for the lava dome complex near the summit. Santiaguito regularly experiences small eruptions. Occasionally, the domes collapse, triggering pyroclastic flows. Larger explosions and mudflows are also potential hazards.
Still, many adventurers continue to climb the 12,300-foot-high Santa Maria to get a view of its eruptions and take silly pictures. The dome complex has been active since 1929, following a 27-year period of intense eruptions that claimed over 7,000 lives. Despite this, the Decade Volcano designation for Santa Maria/Santiaguito has not yet led to significant government-funded initiatives.
Guatemala is home to numerous volcanoes that require urgent attention. Government officials still need convincing that preparing for another major eruption here would be cheaper than dealing with the aftermath of one later on.
5. Santorini, Greece
Population at risk: 67,500 Last known eruption: 1950
Volcanologists are intrigued by the eruption history that shaped Santorini — or Thera — into its striking form. They've pinpointed at least four caldera-forming eruptions over the past 180,000 years. The latest one, about 3,600 years ago, was a VEI 7 eruption.
This is the eruption that may have been responsible for the fall of the Minoan civilization, which flourished on the nearby island of Crete. Or maybe not. The true cause of the collapse of that remarkable culture remains uncertain. Thanks to the Decade Volcano initiative, Santorini now boasts its first modern volcano observatory, which has detected only sporadic swarms of seismic activity—nothing that suggests an eruption is imminent.
4. Teide, Canary Islands
Population at risk: 766,000 people Last known eruption: 1909
In reality, Tenerife is a complex of stratovolcanoes that has been active since the Miocene period. Teide, the highest of them all, is also one of the youngest. It sits in the 6 x 11-mile-wide Las Canadas caldera, offering a breathtaking view from the summit. The only active signs on Teide are the sulfur-emitting fumaroles, and the occasional earthquake swarms. Otherwise, the volcano remains quiet.
3. Vesuvius, Italy
Population at risk: More than 6 million people Last known eruption: 1944
You knew Vesuvius would be featured, and that's likely due to the dramatic video above.
Indeed, that’s what a VEI 5 eruption looks like up close. The only volcanic hazards not included in this animation are lava, gas, and tsunamis, though all of these caused destruction and loss of life on that day. In other eruptions, Vesuvius' pyroclastic flows, lava, and gases have killed many and caused widespread damage, with the 1940s eruption being one of the most recent. Tsunami-producing landslides into Naples Bay are also a real possibility.
Although the dangers of Vesuvius have been recognized for centuries, it wasn’t until the Decade Volcano program that the issue was formally tackled. Now, emergency response plans, influenced by both the Pompeii eruption and a major eruption in 1631, are actively in place and undergo regular reviews.
Evacuating Naples and its surrounding areas is a tough challenge, but Vesuvius will not catch scientists and emergency personnel off guard when it erupts again. The most threatening volcano is always the one closest to you, regardless of its place on a scientific list. Thanks to the Decade Volcano program, valuable lessons have been learned to help people survive and manage volcanic crises no matter where they occur.
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2. Unzen, Japan
Population at risk: 7,300,000 people Last known eruption: 1996
This is the very volcano that tragically took the lives of volcanologists Harry Glicken, Katia Krafft, and Maurice Krafft, along with 40 other victims in 1993. Unzen is not a single volcano, but rather a combination of three large stratovolcanoes and numerous lava domes, covering most of the Shimabara Peninsula, which is located to the east of Nagasaki.
Pyroclastic flows pose a significant threat here. At times, collapsing material falls into the sea, triggering tsunamis like the one in 1792 that was responsible for the majority of the over 14,000 deaths caused by Unzen that year.
Unzen erupted again in 1990, leading to evacuations and the destruction of over 2,000 buildings near Shimabara City. While the volcano is quiet at present, when it erupts once more, activity predictions will be more accurate due to the data gathered from Decade Volcano studies and other scientific research.
1. Ulawun, Papua New Guinea
Population at risk: 61,000 people Last known eruption: 2019
You may not be familiar with this island volcano in the South Pacific, but Ulawun, along with a similarly obscure Russian fire mountain, contributed to the stunning purple sunsets we saw last year. Ulawun is one of Papua New Guinea's most active volcanoes. Although its eruptions were once relatively minor, since the 1970s, they have become much larger, including a VEI 4 eruption in 2000.
At present, this beautiful tropical stratovolcano is once again taking on the role of one of The Daily Planet’s mild-mannered reporters. We’ll just have to wait and see what it decides to do next.
