47 Why It Matters: Volcanoes
Volcanoes always played an important role for communities living on volcanic islands (Hawaii, Japan, Santorini (Greece), Iceland, etc.) and continental margins with volcanic activities (Western US, Mediterranean, etc.). Volcanic deposits fertilize land, volcanic heat helps to get hot water and energy.
Volcanoes create new land, see recently (2023) recorded event:
Also, volcanoes enriched human history with mythology and dramatic events. Ancient civilizations, such as Aztec in Mexico associated volcanoes with humans and created a wonderful love tales, such as this one: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/clas-resources/media/The%20Legend%20of%20Popocatepetl.pdf
One of the strongest volcanic eruptions in human history occurred about 3,600 years ago on Santorini, a volcanic island in southern Aegean Sea. It is believed that it affected Minoan Civilization on Crete, an island south from Santorini, and put an end to Minoan Bronze Age Civilization. Though scientific theories and new ideas still emerge and debates continue, Santorini eruption definitely made direct or indirect impact on the course of the Bronze Age history.
LATEST VOLCANIC ERUPTION ON CANARY ISLANDS (SPAIN):
https://en.as.com/en/2021/11/16/latest_news/1637054066_455500.html – Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption now active for almost two months, after beginning on 19 September, 2021
– Volunteer worker killed while cleaning volcanic ash
– Surface area of lava flow now covers over 1,043 hectares
– More than 1,460 buildings have been severely damaged by the lava flow
– New lava headland formed in Atlantic Ocean off Los Guirres beach next to original delta – Around 7,000 of the island’s 85,000 residents have been evacuated
Volcanoes are one of the most dynamic, powerful and destructive forces on the Earth. While they are majestic in appearance, they are often sleeping giants just waiting to wake up and make us take notice.
Sometimes volcanoes appear unexpectedly (Mexico, A Village Covered by Lava):
https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07b049w/the-pompeii-of-mexico
Some of you may have seen volcanic eruptions in person or on TV. Volcanoes are the geologists’ window into the Earth’s interior. If you recall from the previous section, plate tectonics directly influences the location and types of volcanoes we find across the globe. Now we understand why the west coast of America as a chain of volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains and why Japan has so many active volcanoes.
OCCUPATION FOCUS: VOLCANOLOGISTS
Volcanologists have one of the most exciting yet dangerous jobs of all scientists. Please watch this video on the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 to learn more about volcanic eruptions, how scientists study the volcanoes and why volcanologists are important to society. This video shows the most destructive eruption ever that happen to also be the loudest sound ever recorded on earth. This eruption actually blew the volcanoes out of existence, until recently as a new active volcano is currently forming in its place.
Unzen eruption, 1991, Japan:
Eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier in Iceland, April 15, 2010
Recent volcanic activity in Hawaii, 2017:
