EARTHSC 2GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Pyr (Publisher), Smog, Mount Tambora
5 Sep 2014
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Lecture 11, october 1, 2013: volcanic hazards. Millions of people live in risk of volcanic hazard: rich, fertile soil for agriculture, beautiful vistas, climate appeals to retirees (hawaii; italy) Few volcanic eruptions have potential to kill many people. Flowing basalt lava may cool, blacken on outside, but still be hot enough to ignite wood structures. Objects that aren"t burned may be surrounded or buried by flow. Lava flows pose little threat to human life. Rare fluid lava flows faster from vesuvius, killed 3000 people in 1631. Basaltic magma very rarely contains enough gas to blast out. Pyroclastic flow is a mixture of hot volcanic ash and steam that flows downhill because too dense to rise. Race down side of volcano at 50-200 km/hr. Ash-rich, shock wave surge may race ahead of pyroclastic flow, up to 600 km/hr. Volcanic ash is composed of bits of pumice.
