Italy

                                Mount Vesuvius 

                                                    Mount Vesuvius is a stratovolcano which is in the gulf of naples, italy, which is about 5.6 mi (9 Km) east of naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian Volcanic arc. The versuvius consist of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier and orginally much higher structure. In AD 79 the Mount Vesuvius is best known for its eruption which has led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. During that eruption ejected a cloud of stones, ash and fumes to a height of 20.5 mi (33 km), spewing molten rock  and pulverized pumice at the rate of 1.5 million tons per second, ultimately a hundred thousand times the thermal energy released by the Hiroshima bombing. But during this eruption an estimated 16,000 peoples died due to the hydrothermal pyroclastic flows. The Mount Vesuvius has erupted many times since and is the only volcano on the European mainland to have erupted within the last Hundred years. Now it is regarded as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the 3,000,000 peoples living nearby and it has the tendency toward explosive eruptions. Mount Vesuvius is the most densely populated volcanic region in the world. The Vesuvius has a long historic and literary tradition. During 79 AD it was considered a divinity of the Genius type at the times of the eruption of 79 AD : it appears under the inscribed name Vesuvius as a serpent in the decorative frescos of many lararia, or household shrines, surviving from Pompeii. The historian Diodorus Siculus relates a tradition that Hercules( Hercules is the roman name for the greek divine hero Heracles, who was the son of zeus and the mortal Alcmene. According to the classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures ), in the performance of his labors, passed through the country of nearby cumae on his way to sicily and he found a place there called “the phlegraean Plain”,” form a hill which anciently vomited out fire called Vesuvius”. It was inhabited by bandits,” the son of the Earth,” who were giants. An epigram by the poet Martial in 88 AD suggests that both Venus, patroness of Pompeii, and Hercules were worshipped in the region devastated by the eruption of 79. The Vesuvius was a name of the volcano in frequent use by the authors of the late Romam Republic and the early Roman Empire. Its collateral forms were Vesaevus, Vesevus, Vesbius and Vesvius. Many scholars since then have offered an etymology. As peoples of varying ethnicity and language occupied Campania in the Roman iron Age, the etymology depends to a large degree on the presumption of what languages was spoken there at the time. The Naples was settled by Greeks, as the name Nea-polis. The Oscans, a native Italic people, lived in the countryside. The Latins also competed for the occupation of Campania Etruscan settlement were in the vicinity. Other peoples of unknown provenance are said to have been there at some times by the various ancient authors.
The volcanoes occurred in Mount Vesuvius :
 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goFrGyn9utw
 2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK017wax03U

Washington

                                Mount st. Helens 
                       
                                 Mount st. Helens (to the indigenous cowlitz peoples it is know as the Lawetlat’la and to the klickitat it is know as the loowit) it is an active stratovolcano which is been located in skamania country, washington, in the united states in the pacific Northwest region. It is 154 km (that is 96 miles south of seattle, washington, and 80 km(50 miles) northeast of portland,Oregon.The Mount St. Helens got its name from the British  diplomat Loard St Helen. The volcano is situated in the Cascade Range and is the part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a sement of the pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes .This volcano is mainly known by its ash explosions and pyroclastic flow. On may 18, 1980 in Mount St .Helens is most notorious for ifs catastrophic eruption  which is the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the united states. In this the 250 homes, 47 bridge, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 298 km (185 miles) of highways were destroyed, and Fifty-seven peoples were killed. A massive debris avalanche triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale caused an eruption that reduced the elevation of the mountain’s summit from 2,950 m (9,677 ft ) to 2,550 m (8,365 ft ),replacing it with a 1.6 km (1 mile )wide horeshoe-shaped crater. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was orginated for the presuring of volcano and also for its aftermath to be scientifically studied. The debris avalanche was up to 2.9 km cub (0.7 cubic miles ) in volume. In the cascade Range, Mount St. Helen is a large eruptive cone consisting of lava rock inter layered with ash, pumice and with also other deposits. The basalt and andestie includes layers of mountain through which the several domes of dacite lava have erupted. The Mount St. Helens is 72 km (45 miles ) west of the Mount Adams, which is in the western part of the Cascade range. These two mountains which can be said as the “sister and brother”volcanic mountains are approximately 80 km (50 miles) from the Mount Rainier, the highest of Cascade volcanoes. The Mount Hood, the nearest major volcanic peak in Oregon is 100 km (60 miles) Southeast of Mount St. Helens.  When we compare the Mount St. Helens with the other major Cascade volcanoes it is geologically young compared with the other major Cascade volcanoes. It formed only within the past 40,000 years and the pre-1980 summit cone began rising about 2,200 years ago. This volcano is considered the most active in the Cascades with the Holocene epoch. The Mount St. Helens was the fifth-highest peak in Washington. It got the nick name  Fuji-san of America because it stood out prominently from surrounding hills because of the symmetry and extensive snow and ice cover of the pre-1980 summit cone. The peak rose more than 1,500 m about 5,000 feet above its base, where as the lower flanks merge with adjacent ridges. The mountain is 9.7 km about 6 miles across at its base, which is at an altitude of 4,400 feet ( 1,300 m) on the northeastern side and 1,200m about 4,000 feet. And at the pre-eruption tree line, the width of the cone was 6.4 km that is 4 miles. The streams that originate on the volcano enter into three main river systems they are the Toutle River on the north and northwest, the Kalama River on the west and the Lewis River on the south and east. The streams are fed by abundant rain and snow. The average annual rainfall is 140 inches (3,600 mm), and the snow pack on the mountain’s upper slopes can reaches 4.9 m (16 feet).For the hydroelectric power generation the Lewis River is impounded by the three dams. The southern and eastern sides of the volcano drain into an upstream impoundment, the swift Reservoir, which is directly south of the volcano’s peak. Although Mount St. Helens is in Skamania Country, Washington, access routes to the mountain run through Cowlitz Country to the west state, locally known as the Spirit lake Memorial Highway, connects with interstate 5 at 34 miles (55 km)to the west of the mountain. The community nearest the volcano is cougar, Washington, in the Lewis River valley 11 miles (18 km) south- southwest of the peak. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest surrounds the Mount  St. Helens.


Facts Of Mount St. Helen

• Location        : Skamania Country, Washington, United States         
• Range            :Cascade Range                                                                      
• Coordinates   : 46 degree 11' 28"N 122 degree 11'40"W                    
• Type               : Active stratovolcano                                                         
• Age of Rock   : < 40,000 years                                                       
• Volcanic Arc  : Cascade Volcanic Arc                                         
• First Ascent   : Thomas J. Dryer in 1853 

Places

                                The places volcanoes seen

The World's Top 10 Volcanoes:

1.   Mount St. Helens - Washington State
2.   Mount Vesuvius - Italy
3.   Mt. Fuji - Japan.  Currently Dormant
4.   Mt. Kilauea & Mauna Loa - Hawaii
5.   Mount Kilimanjaro - Tanzania.  Currently dormant.
6.   Popocatepetl - Mexico
7.   Mount Etna - Greece
8.   Krakatoa - Indonesia
9.   Mount Pelee - Martinique
10. Alaska Volcanoes -  Shishaldin Volcano, Mount Redoubt, Mount Augustine, 
Mount Katmai


The Continental U.S. Top 10 Volcanoes:  

1.  Mount St. Helens, Washington State
2.  Mount Mazama - Crater Lake, Oregon
3.  Yellowstone Caldera, Wyoming
4.  Mount Rainier - Washington State
5.  Mount Lassen, California
6.  Mount Shasta, California
7.  Pikes Peak, Colorado
8.  Craters of the Moon - Idaho
9.  Devils Tower - Wyoming (volcano core)
10. Mount Hood - Oregon
11. Haystack Rock - Cannon Beach ( technically a lava flow formation )

Top 10 Geographic Places see in the United States

1. Yellowstone National Park
2. Grand Canyon
3. Mount St. Helens
4. Mount Rushmore
5. Devils Tower
6. Bryce Canyon
7. Redwoods National Forest
8. Yosemite
9. Crazy Horse
10.Crater Lake
                Mount Etna is a place in the province of catania, between Messina and catania where active strato volcano on the east coast of Italy. This Mount Etna lies above the convergent plate margin between the Eurasian Plate and African Plate. In European Continent it is the tallest active volcano, about 10,922 ft (3,329 m), but these varies with eruptions. In Italy south of Alps it is the highest mountain It covers an area of 459 sq mi (1,190 km sq) with a circumference of 140 km. Due to these reasons this makes it largest of the active volcanoes in a Italy it is being two and half times the height of Mount Vesuvius. The Mount Teide in Tenerife be greater than it in the whole of European-North-African region. According to the Greek mythology, the deadly monsters Typhon (the deadliest monster of Greek mythology) was trapped under this mountains by Zeus(the god of the sky and thunder and also the king of gods, and the Hephaestus (the Greek god of blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals, metallurgy ,fire and volcanoes) forges were said to be located under it. Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The fertile volcanic soils covering or affecting a large area of agriculture, with vineyards and orchards which is spread across the lower slopes of the mountains and also the broad plain of Catania to the south. By the history of recent activity and nearby population, the Mount Etna has been designated a Decade Volcano by the united Nations. It was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in June 2013.In 2012 the Mount Etna is erupting for the sixth time on that year with lava and plumes of smoke and ash from a new crater on the volcano’s southeast side.

PRECAUTIONS

                                                        PRECAUTIONS
                                         When lava and gas are discharging from a vent or through volcanic vent the volcanic eruptions occurs or happens.We know a  volcanic eruption it is very is awesome and it is also a destructive event.So what are the safety tips that we must do, or what we must do when we're caught near an eruption.The safety tips are we must try stay away from the active volcanoes regions.And if we settle or live near an active volcano,we must keep goggles,mask in an emergency kit,there must be also an battery-operated radio the use of the radio is when a volcano erupts,we must tune on television or radio to determine we are in immediate danger or not,and also to find out what is happening around us.If we are told to move the area leave the area promptly.Get to high ground away from the volcano.Lava flows,mud flows,and flooding are common in a major eruption.All these can be deadly,and all of them tends to travel in valley and low-lying areas.So climb to a higher ground,and  stay there until we conform that the danger situation is passed.Try to avoid the breathing of poisonous gases because during the volcanic eruption volcanoes emit a number of deadly gases,and if we are to the erupts,these emitted gases can kill us in less than a minute.So breath through a respirator,mask,or moist piece of cloth.And don't stay near low to the ground,as some of the most dangerous gases are heavier than air and get accumulate near the ground.Get and stay inside.Unless you need to evacuate,the safest place you can be is inside a strong structure.close all the windows and doors to protect yourself from ash and burning cinders and block chimneys and other vents,to prevent ash coming to the house.And receive medical treatment promptly for burns,injuries,and for gas/ash inhalation.Before leaving house,wear a long-sleeved shirts and long pants and use goggles or eyeglasses,not the contacts.We must also beware that ash may put excess weight on the roof and need to be swept away.So during the process of cleaning wear protections.The ashes can damage engines and metal parts,so avoid the driving,if you are driving then stay below 35 miles that is 56 kilometers an hour.During the volcanic eruption high speed lava flow containing toxic gases and 400 degrees and molten rock which is so much fast than a person to run out.the volcanic eruption clouds,liable to disperse ash over a large area 1000 km along with the affecting the local infrastructure in varies ways like Aircraft accessibility,diversions and delays,Food supplies,crop and live stock,Dangerous driving conditions(poor visibility),vehicle air filtration systems blocked causing over heating and mechanical failure,Drainage systems blocked and potential for local flooding,Railway lines affected,Water supplies affected.The health problems as a result of  the ash particles within the atmosphere which are,increase risk of Asthma reaction,General respiratory and the breathing problems,Potential for severe reactions with moisture within lungs causing a cementing affect within the lungs,And also the eye irritation.The preventive measures and the recommendations are the monitor weather conditions particularly the wind direction,the wind changes direction with attitude.Must have the plans to evacuate up the wind to a safe area under cover.Must have the clear medical evacuation plans,which may be affected by aircraft and vehicle accessibility.Make regular updates with the volcanic monitoring center,have the sufficient water,food and medical equipment supplies,when are travelling and base location.The major eruption as been declared have plans in place to return to a safe location and at a suitable distance. 

VOLCANO LITE

                                         Volcanoes can be catastrophic events, but everything has its light side. With volcanoes, even the light side can be truly amazing.From this we have learned about the volcanos and their eruptions and the death of the peoples occured during the years 1815, 1883, 1902, 1985, 1792, 1783, 1919, 1822, 1631, 1772, 1951, 1982, 1902, 1741, 1783, 1911, 1814, 1963, 1877, 1991, 1640, 1845, 1951 etc.And we studied about various types and forms of volcanos, we studied about VEI(Volcanic Explosivity Index), their plume Height, Classifications, how often they have been formed, and also their examples. The poisionus gases formed during the volcano eruptions(ie, Carbon Dioxide(co2):Odorless gas human breathe out. In high concentration,as suffocating as putting a pillow over your face.,Hydrogen Sulfide(H2S):Gas with the foul smell of rotten eggs. It can mix with water vapor to form sulfuric acid,then fall as acid rain to pollute lakes and streams and kill plant life and fish . In big or long-lasting volcanic eruptions,sulfuric acid can form a haze that gets into the upper atmosphere,bouncing the sun's rays away from Earth and causing worldwide cooling .,Sulfur Dioxide(SO2):Produce poisonous,corrosive fumes.This is based on specifics from a real eruption at Laki,Iceland,in 1783,which desposited 14 cubic Km of basaltic lava. scientists think Laki lowered worldwide temperatures by one degree Fahrenheit.Volcanoes are a fascinating, dangerous, powerful force on earth. They need to be understood and respected, because they are capable of monumental harm. They do what they want, when they want to. Each has its own timetables and its own sometimes grouchy, nasty, unpredictable nature.So we have learned about the volcanos and there classifications also.

HEROES

                        Courage Under Fire

                                 Maurice and Krafft spent more than 20 years racing to the scene of exploding volcanoes. their tools were cameras as well as maps and rock hammers; the kraffts were film-makers and photographers as well as scientists. Their film and pictures are unforgettable,showing volcanoes up so close you can almost feel the heat and smell the sulfur.

                                           The kraffts wanted to show the dangers of eruptions so vividly that people would know what to expect and could be prepared. They knew such knowledge could save lives. take ruiz,an active volcano in colombia that erupted in 1985. A mudslide triggered by the volcano's melted ice cap roared through a river valley,killing more than 23,000 people. They all could have been saved simply by moving to higher ground, but local authorities didn't take scientists warnings seriously.

                                           To get the most powerful images, the kraffts often put themselves at risk. They scampered along crumbling lava shelves hot enough to melt their shoes. They rowed a boat around a lake full of sulfuric acid concentrated enough to dissolve a human. They were lucky that time-they only lost the top layers of flesh off their fingers.

                                           But Maurice and Katia's luck ran out one day in june 1991. While in japan filming the eruption OF Mt. Unzen, they got caught in a poisonous, glowing cloud of hot ash and gas. Along with 35 other people on the volcano, they perished. But they left behind a priceless legacy for volcanology:two million feet of film, 20 tons of volcanic artifacts, hundreds of thousands of photographs. And now others are pursuing their goals of serving science and saving lives.

                                           Steve and Donna O'Meara of volcano,Hawaii, are not professional volcanologists. But they are experts in the field. they've visited 70 eruptions, photographing, observing, and most of all, trying to help people in harm's way and make them aware of the seriousness of their situation. In arenal, CosTA rica, the O"Mearas were appalled to find a local hotel giving out maps to the site of the eruption, even while boulder-sized lava blocks rolled down the slopes. "On the road up the mountain,we passed a father and a child, trying to read the map," Steve recalls. "luckily, i got them to turn back."

                                           It's not easy to make people turn back. Many whose homes are near volcanoes farm for a living, since volcanic soil is fertile. Leaving their homes for very long could mean starvation. But with world populations growing, more and more people will be living on the edge of disaster. Areas around certain volcanoes, such as Mount Vesuvius in Italy, are crowded with houses. Learning to predict eruptions more accurately is critical.

                                        Just a few miles from the O'Mearas'home, at Kilauea, research on volcano prediction has been going on for some time. Scientists at the Hawaiian volcano observatory there are studying Kilauea, the most active volcano on the planet, to help perfect a system that will tell them if the ground beneath the volcano is swelling with magma-an early sign that a blow-up is going to happen. The system uses receivers connected to the satellite Global positioning system.

                                         The system may be operational soon. Meanwhile, Steve and Donna O'Meara cherish the beauty and excitement of living near Kilauea. "There's always something happening," says Donna. "Steam is hissing out,and there are earthquakes almost ever day-two-hundred-foot lava fountains are common. Sometimeswe hold our breath, but we feel alive in their presence."     

SCIENTIST'S NOTEBOOK

                              Arenal,Costa Rica,1997

                               Arenal Volcano, in Spanish Volcán Arenal, is an active andesitic stratovolcano in north-western Costa Rica around 90 km northwest of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. The Arenal volcano measures at least 1,633 metres (5,358 ft).  It is conically shaped with a crater spanning 140 metres (460 ft). Geologically, Arenal is considered a young volcano and the age is estimated to be less than 7,500 years. It is also known as "Pan de Azúcar", "Canaste", "Volcan Costa Rica", "Volcan Río Frío" or "Guatusos Peak".

                                 Arenal is one of seven historically active Costa Rican volcanoes along with Poás, Irazú, Miravalles, Orosí, Rincón de la Viejacomplex, and Turrialba. It was Costa Rica's most active volcano until 2010, and one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. It has been studied by seismologists for many years.

                                 The volcano was dormant for hundreds of years and exhibited a single crater at its summit, with minor fumaroles activity, covered by dense vegetation. In 1968 it erupted unexpectedly, destroying the small town of Tabacón. Due to the eruption three more craters were created on the western flanks but only one of them still exists today. Since October 2010, Arenal's volcanic activity appears to be decreasing and explosions have become rare, with no explosions reported between December 2010 and October 2012.

                                 The volcano is located at the center of Arenal Volcano National Park in the northern zone of the country, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of the La Fortuna district in San Carlos (canton), Costa Rica. The temperature varies from 9 °C (48 °F) in the high areas to 89 °C (192 °F) in the low areas and the annual rainfall is around 349 centimetres (137 in).

                                 Arenal Volcano area is an important watershed for the Arenal Lake Reservoir. The reservoir's water is used for hydroelectric power. It is also connected to the national system.

                                 Arenal has a good number of eruptive vents. Chato is a dormant stratovolcanic cone. It is believed Chato first erupted 38,000 years ago during the Pleistocene period and last erupted about 3,500 years ago. Chatito 10°26′17″N 84°41′13″W is a lava dome with an elevation of 1,100 metres (3,609 ft). Espina is another lava dome.

                                Mark Twain wrote about the noises at kilauea more than ahundred years ago,and today people are still listening to volcanoes. And what they hear could save lives. Scientist Milton Garces spent a week on the slope of the Arenal volcano in the rain forest of Costa Rica,listening to explosions,hissing,and chugging sounds like those of a train. He wondered if he could use those sounds to find out what was happening inside the volcano-maybe even to help predict volcanic eruptions. 

  

PERFECT PITCH

                        Garces had become interested in volcanoes while he was studing the effect of sound under the ocean. He learned that underwater volcano hunters needed to be able to tell the noise of erupting volcanoes apart from background ocean noise. But he figured it would be easier to study volcanoes on land.He soon found that volcanoes produce a wide variety of sounds. They range from low-pitched rumbles that humans can't hear but can feel,like the passing of a jet plane,all the way up to high-pitched whines and whooshes.

                                        The rumbles are called infrasound('below sound'),and Garces found out that they are a volcano's most revealing noise. Some infrasound comes from exploding bubbles of gas and rock that propel magma and other particles into the air.Infrasound also comes from magma flow deep iside the earth. Trapped in a Bubble : Exactly what makes the rumbles? scientists think gas bubbles in streams of magma expand and contract as pressure changes. The growls they make are trapped in the magma that rises through passages that lead to the vent of a volcano. the surface of the magma acts like the head of a drum,and the sound vibrations travel through the air.

                                        Milton Garces and his colleague Michael Buckingham have collected an amazing amount of information that has helped them make models of the infrasound "fingerprint" of volcanoes. They now are sure that the amount of gas dissolved in magma determines how violent an eruption will be. In the near future,they expect to have models that translate the sounds coming from a volcano into information almost as they happen. Because a volcano can have such far-reaching effects,that's good news for all of us. But for the 500 million people living close to a volcano, it may be the difference between life and death.

IF IT SOUNDS LIKE A VOLCANO

Kilauea,Hawaii,1872
                   Kīlauea is a currently active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, and the most active of the five volcanoes that together form the island of Hawaiʻi. Located along the southern shore of the island, the volcano, at 300,000 to 600,000 years old and going above sea level about 100,000 years ago, it is the second youngest product of theHawaiian hotspot and the current eruptive center of the Hawaiian–Emperor seamount chain. Because it lacks topographic prominence and its activities historically coincided with those of Mauna Loa, Kīlauea was once thought to be a satellite of its much larger neighbor. Structurally, Kīlauea has a large, fairly recently formed caldera at its summit and two active rift zones, one extending 125 km (78 mi) east and the other 35 km (22 mi) west, as an active fault line of unknown depth moving vertically an average of 2 to 20 mm (0.1 to 0.8 in) per year.

         Kīlauea's eruptive history has been a long and active one; its name means "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language, referring to its frequent outpouring of lava. The earliest lavas from the volcano date back to its submarine preshield stage, and have been recovered by ROVs from its submerged slopes; other flows have been recovered through core samples. Lavas younger than 1,000 years cover 90 percent of the volcano; the oldest exposed lavas date back 2,800 and 2,100 years. The first well-documented eruption of Kīlauea occurred in 1823, and since that time the volcano has erupted repeatedly. Most historical eruptions have occurred at the volcano's summit or its southwestern rift zone, and are prolonged and effusive in character; however, the geological record shows that violent explosive activity predating European contact was extremely common, and should explosive activity start anew the volcano would become much more dangerous to civilians. Kīlauea's current eruption dates back to January 3, 1983, and is by far its longest-lived historical period of activity, as well as one of the longest-lived eruptions in the world; as of January 2011, the eruption has produced 3.5 cubic kilometres (0.84 cu mi) of lava and resurfaced 123.2 km² (48 sq mi) of land.

          Kīlauea's high state of activity has a major impact on its mountainside ecology where plant growth is often interrupted by freshtephra and drifting volcanic sulfur dioxide, producing acid rains particularly in a barren area south of its southwestern rift zone known as the Kaʻū Desert. Nonetheless, wildlife flourishes where left undisturbed elsewhere on the volcano and is highlyendemic thanks to Kīlauea's (and the island of Hawaiʻi's) isolation from the nearest landmass. Historically, the five volcanoes on the island were considered sacred by the Hawaiian people, and in Hawaiian mythology Kīlauea's Halemaumau Crater served as the body and home of Pele, goddess of fire, lightning, wind, and volcanoes. William Ellis, a missionary from England, gave the first modern account of Kīlauea and spent two weeks traveling along the volcano; since its foundation by Thomas Jaggar in 1912, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, located on the rim of Kīlauea caldera, has served as the principal investigative and scientific body on the volcano and the island in general. In 1916 a bill forming the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson; since then the park has become a World Heritage Site and a major tourist destination, attracting roughly 2.6 million people annually.

        The noise made by the bubblng lava is not great,heard as we heard it from our lofty perch.It makes three distinct sounds-a rushing,a hissing,and a coughing or puffing sound;and if you stand on the brink and close your eyes it is no trick at all to imagine that you are sweeping down a river on a large low-pressure steamer,and that you hear the hissing of the steam about her boilers,the puffing from her escape pipes,and the churning rush of water abaft[behind] her wheels."The Great Volcano Of Kilauea",Mark Twain.

Amazing But True

                                              WAVE GOOD-BYE

Rakata,Indonesia,August 27,1833

                                        Four gigantic explosions rock the 4 1|3 mile (11 km) island,which sits at a place where the indo-Australian plate subducts the Pacific plate.The volcano krakatau is blowing up-and telling the whole world about it.The third of these eruptions is the single most violent explosion on Earth in our time,its awesome power reinforced by the steam produced when seawater rushes into the collapsed cone.The noise can be heard 2,200 miles (3,540 km) away in Australia.

                                      This Plinian/Ultra-plinian eruption,equal to 200 million tons of TNT,blasts out a pile of rock equal to half the island.A black pillar of smoke and ash three times as high as Mt.Everest rises into the atmosphere.Its dust cloud will turn day into night in the surrounding areas and later spend a year circling the Earth,causing brilliant red sunsets.

                                      The enormous energy of the blast makes the sea floor twitch.Small waves being to form,building as they rush away in all directions.By the time the largest wave reaches Java and Sumatra,it is a terrifying wall of water as high as a 12-story building.

                                      In the harbors,the wave sinks more than 5,000 boats.A ship named the Baron is carried to a forest a couple of miles inland and dumped into the treetops.Now 36,000 people are dead and 160 villages are ruined,but the wave keeps on going.

                                      Moving as fastas a jet airplane,it tears through the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Atlantic Ocean.A day and a half after the eruption,people comment on the high tides in the English Channel,on the other side of the world.

A Ripple in the ocean,A Killer on the Shore

                                      Tsunami is the japanese wod for a monster wave that reaches shore.But if you were flying above one,you wouldn't even see it.That's because these waves go down thousands of feet in the ocean and cover such a huge distance.There are hundreds of miles between crests,and the crests themselves may be just a few feet tall.But there is so much force behind the waves-called momentum-that they can travel great distance without losing much energy.

                                   Near the shore,the approaching wave begin to interact with the shallower ocean floor.They slow down,but they pile up on each other and pull back.All the water is sucked away from shore.Harbors empty.Fish flop on the sand.The withdrawing of the sea is always followed by the tsunami,s shattering collapse on shore.That a tsunami the size and speed of the one you've just read about was generated by a volcanic eruption off the coast of peru.

VIRTUAL VOYAGE

                          DEEP SECRETS

                              You find yourself in a strange place underwater.Suddenly,the ground splits apart and oozes lava,heating up the water to a cozy 572 degree F(300 c),about as hot as a blow torch.The lava hardens into fluffy-looking pads.
                              Chimneys 35 feet (11 m) tall sprout up and boiling hot chemicals.Clouds of sulfur-eating bacteria swarm and feast on the minerals.Giant tubeworms stretch twice the length of a basketball player and sway in the heat,combing the murky water for food.clams the size of a small car camp nearby waiting for a meal.
                              This place really exists,but it is so far under the surface of the water that no human being can go there without very special protection.The pressure of the water thousands of feet below the surface would crush a driver,even if the water were cooler.These deepest sea enivonment,know as hydrothermal vents,were discovered only in 1977.First we had to invent special machines called submersibles.They can take the hazardous temperature,the crushing pressure,the complete darkness,and the corrosive chemicals in the water.They can sent back pictures so scientists can learn about this wild and bizarre place.
                              We know from the pictures that the ocean floor is always changing,and volcanic activity is the reason.When tectonic plates pull apart under the sea,cracks form.Hot magma flows up and fills in the crancks.The crancks form more easily in the ocean than on land,because Earth,s crust under the ocean is only 3-5 miles (5-8 km) thickl,as compared to 20-25 miles (32-40 km) thick under land.New magma means hot water,new rocks in new strips of ocean floor,new chemicals in the water.All this newness is a perfect breeding ground for mysterious life forms.Many volcanoes that started underwater are now full-fledged island like Hawaii or the nation of ieland.New islands are forming all the time as volcanoes erput.

Big Bad Blasts

Deadliest Eruptions

Deaths     Volcano           When        Major Cause Of Death
92,000     Tambora,           1815                Starvation
               Indonesia

36,417    Krakatau,            1883                 Tsunami     
              Indonesia

29,025    Mt.pelee,            1902                  Ash flows
             Martinique

23,000+  Ruiz,                   1985                  Mud flows
              Colombia  

14,300    Unzen,               1792              Volcano collapse,
              japan                                            Tsunami

9,350     Laki,                   1783                    Starvation
             Iceland

5,110     Kelut,                 1919                     Mud flows
            Indonesia

4,011    Galunggung,       1822                     Mud flow
            Indonesia

3,500    Vesuvius,            1631                     Mud flow,
             Italy                                                 Lava flows

3,360    Vesuvius,            1679                     Ash flows,
             Italy                                                  Falls

2,957    Papandayan,       1772                     Ash flows

2,942    Lamington,          1951                     Ash flows
            Papua N.G

2,000    El Chicon,            1982                     Ash flows
            Mexico

1,680    Soufriere,             1902                     Ash flows
            St.Vincent

1,475    Oshima                1741                     Tsunami
            Japan

1,377    Asama,                 1783                     Ash flows,
            Japan                                                 Mud flow

1,335   Taal,                      1911                      Ash flows
           Philippines

1,200   Mayon,                  1814                      Mud flows
           Philippines

1,184   Agung,                  1963                       Ash flows
           Indonesia

1,000   Cotopaxi,              1877                       Mud flows
           Ecudar

  800   Pinatubo,               1991                   Roof collapses,
           Philippines                                       and disease

  700   Komagatake           1640                       Tsunami
           Japan   
  700   Ruiz,                       1845                      Mud flows
           Colombia
   
  500   Hibok-Hibok            1951                      Ash flows
           philippines

            
             THE VOLCANIC EXPLOSIVITY INDEX


VEI                  : 0

Description     : non-explosive

Plume Height  : <100m

Classification  : Hawaiian

How Often       : Daily

Example          : Kilauea

VEI                  : 1

Description     : gentle

Plume Height  : 100-1000m

Classification  : Haw/strombolian

How Often       : Daily

Example          : stromboli

VEI                  : 2

Description     : Explosive

Plume Height  : 1-5 km

Classification  : Strom/Vulcanian

How Often       : Weekly

Example          : Galeras, 1992

VEI                  : 3

Description     : Severe

Plume Height  : 3-5 km

Classification  : Vulcanian

How Often       : Yearly

Example          : Ruiz, 1985

VEI                  : 4

Description     : Cataclysmic

Plume Height  : 10-25 km

Classification  : Vulc/plinian

How Often       : 10s of years

Example          : Galunggung, 1982

VEI                  : 5

Description     : Paroxysmal

Plume Height  : >25 km

Classification  : Plinian

How Often       : 100s of years

Example          : Mt. St.Helens, 1980

VEI                  : 6

Description     : Colossal

Plume Height  : >25 km

Classification  : Plin/Ultra-Plinian

How Often       : 100 of years

Example          : Krakatau, 1883

VEI                  : 7

Description     : Super-colossal

Plume Height  : >25 km

Classification  : Ultra-plinian

How Often       : 1000s of years

Example          : Tambora, 1815

VEI                  : 8

Description     : Mega-colossal

Plume Height  : >25 km

Classification  : Ultra-plinian

How Often       : 10,000s of years

Example          : Yellowstone, 2.2 million years ago

                        The VEI(Volcanic Explosivity Index) indicates how powerful an eruption is.Although every year about 60 volcanoes erupt,most of the activity is fairly weak.