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.