Hazards in an Eruption
During an eruption there are many dangerous hazards. This page is the place to find out about them.
Lava Flows
Lava flows are flows of molten rock that are emitted from the vent of the volcano. They are well known and very destructive, but they are slow, so any people in the path of a lava flow have plenty of time to get out of its way.
Pyroclastic Flows
Pyroclastic flows are ground-hugging clouds of ash and extremely hot gases produced by certain types of volcanoes, usually on plate boundaries where the plates push together. They move extremely fast and can kill instantly. Many of the most devastating eruptions in history involved pyroclastic flows.
Ash Clouds
Ash clouds are clouds of ash produced by the volcano. Their main danger is that their ash can get into engines of passing aeroplanes and cause them to crash. These clouds can also block out the sun for a while, as well as causing ash falls and acid rain that can kill plants and pollute water systems.
Landslides and mud flows
Volcanic eruptions can often cause landslides, when the side of a volcano collapses. Soil can also be loosened due to volcanic tremors, so if it rains a mudflow is formed. If these mudflows mix with lava they are called lahars.
Lava Flows
Lava flows are flows of molten rock that are emitted from the vent of the volcano. They are well known and very destructive, but they are slow, so any people in the path of a lava flow have plenty of time to get out of its way.
Pyroclastic Flows
Pyroclastic flows are ground-hugging clouds of ash and extremely hot gases produced by certain types of volcanoes, usually on plate boundaries where the plates push together. They move extremely fast and can kill instantly. Many of the most devastating eruptions in history involved pyroclastic flows.
Ash Clouds
Ash clouds are clouds of ash produced by the volcano. Their main danger is that their ash can get into engines of passing aeroplanes and cause them to crash. These clouds can also block out the sun for a while, as well as causing ash falls and acid rain that can kill plants and pollute water systems.
Landslides and mud flows
Volcanic eruptions can often cause landslides, when the side of a volcano collapses. Soil can also be loosened due to volcanic tremors, so if it rains a mudflow is formed. If these mudflows mix with lava they are called lahars.
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