Currently active volcanoes have the potential of killing tens of millions of people and devastating entire countries. Two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mt. Etna and Mt. Stromboli, both in Sicily, would affect most of Europe, particularly Italy and Greece, should massive eruptions occur. Unanticipated volcanic eruptions have taken an enormous toll on life and property throughout history.
A brief account of the most notable eruptions will put the potential risk in perspective.
Santorini: The largest volcanic eruption in the past ten thousand years occurred about 1650 BC.
Santorini, a small volcanic island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece, erupted and then collapsed. The tidal wave that followed was over a hundred feet high and swept over the Mediterranean crescent. The death toll has been estimated to be in the millions. The Minoan civilization on the island of Crete was devastated, as were other civilizations in the area.
Mount Vesuvius: Probably the most well known of the historic volcanic eruptions was that of Mount Vesuvius. The eruption occurred on August 25, AD 79. A 750°F cloud of hot gases swept down from the volcano and enveloped the town of Pompeii, a resort village, killing the residents and holiday visitors instantly with thermal shock. The town was then covered with lava. Clouds of ash rained down on the nearby town of Herculaneum, inhabited by wealthy Romans, burying it and its people under seventy-five feet of volcanic material. It has been estimated that at least ten thousand people died as a result of the Mount Vesuvius explosion.
Mount Tambora: Indonesia’s Mount Tambora erupted on April 5, 1815. It was also one of the largest eruptions in history. In Indonesia itself, 83,000 died. Sulphur-rich gases spewed to a height of twenty-eight miles and created major climate changes over a large area. The spring and summer of 1816 were extremely cold across Europe and North America. Snowfalls and frost occurred during the summer, killing most of the crops. Destruction of the corn crop resulted in farmers slaughtering their livestock. The resulting famine resulted in at least a hundred thousand people starving to death.
Krakatoa: Krakatoa had a massive eruption on August 26, 1883. The total energy released by the Krakatoa explosions has been estimated at two hundred megatons, ten thousand times more powerful than the atomic explosion at Hiroshima. Two-thirds of the island was blasted fifty thousand feet into the atmosphere. The ensuing tidal wave was 120 feet high and swept over Indonesia, destroying thousands of villages and killing an estimated 36,000 people. The ash and rock particles blocked the sun for two days. The filter effect of the dust affected the world’s weather for five years, causing the earth to cool. Following a period of dormancy, the volcano is once again active.
Mt. St. Helens: The most recent volcanic eruption of major consequence was that of Mount Saint Helens in the State of Washington. The volcano had been dormant since the 1850s. The May 18, 1980, eruption killed fifty-seven people, destroyed 250 homes, and caused over a billion dollars in damage. A plume of volcanic ash rose to a height of eighty thousand feet and spread over eleven states. There was a massive landslide along with the eruption, which reduced the height of the mountain by 1,300 feet and destroyed everything in its path.
Mt. Kilauea: A similar threat is posed by Mt. Kilauea on the island of Hawaii. There have been thirty-four eruptions since 1952, and it has continued to be active since 1983. Kilauea ranks among the world’s most active volcanoes. There is concern that, in a way similar to what happened at Mt. St. Helens, part of the mountain may break off from the rest of the island and slide into the ocean, causing a tsunami of monumental size.
