HOW DO VOLCANOES CAUSE DEATH & DESTRUCTION?

Earth Science

1.) Earthquakes• Associated with volcanic eruptions & movement of

magma. They can also trigger landslides.

2.) Initial Blast

• Can blow down everything within a close distance.

• Ex.) Mt. St. Helens

3.) Release of Gas from Volcanic Lakes

• Gases from volcano are heavier than air. Lack of oxygen suffocates animals & humans.

• Ex.) Lake Nyos, Cameroon, Africa

Lake Nyos, Cameroon, Africa

4.) Ashfall• Ex.) Mt. Vesuvius

(Naples, Italy ~ 79 AD) erupted, burying Pompeii under 5-8 meters of hot ash

5.) Pyroclastic Flow• Deadly mixture of rock

material, ash, & hot gases.

6.) Mudflow

• Ice/snow melts at the summit of the volcano. When it erupts, the melt water mixes with sediments as it flows down slope. Ice melts can also cause slurries of water and ash.

7.) Tsunami• When part of a volcano falls into the ocean, it can

create a huge wave.

8.) Lava• Covers, roads,

decimates houses & buildings.

9.) Famine• Volcanic dust in the

atmosphere affects the climate by reflecting solar radiation back into space causing lower temperatures, crop failure.

• Ex.) 1816, Year Without a Summer

10.) Fires• Molten rock ignites

woodlands, buildings.

11.) Difficulty Breathing• From gas & ash

12.) Toxic Gases Released• Sulfuric gases mix with water vapor creating sulfuric

acid clouds.