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An Influence of Volcanic Hazards on Modern World

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Throughout the world there are a variety of natural disasters that occur among the environment on a daily basis. Some may only cause minimal harm, but others could be extremely destructive to the point where it could cause certain deaths and ruination. Among the several natural disasters that are known, volcanic hazards have become one of the most concerning threats here in the United States and in the world. (Myers) This has sparked my interest because it was interesting to learn about how intrusive and troubling volcanoes, explained thoroughly in chapter four of the textbook, can be and how it impacts the planet we live in. Throughout this essay, I will describe different kinds of volcanic hazards, how it affects the environment and humanity, and how advances in technology are keeping people safe from volcanic hazards.

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Volcanoes produce many threats that can cause both direct and indirect damage. The most dangerous and obvious hazards volcanoes can create are explosive or effusive eruptions. An explosive eruption occurs when boiling magma rises due to low density and pressure that eventually bursts through the earths crust. (Charles) Throughout this process, lava and debris spurts from the dome of a volcano, which is enough to demolish just about anything it touches or lands on.

n fact, researchers from Oregon State University suggest that people should stay at least twenty-five to thirty kilometers away from an active volcano due to the damage it is capable of triggering. (Decker) Eruptions then lead to a variety of other hazards such as pyroclastic flows, ash clouds, and mudflows, which is what most likely will affect people nearby the most. Another major volcanic hazard is the release of gasses emitted from fumaroles, which are the openings or small cracks of a volcano. (Myers) For example, an eruption that occurred in 1991 at Mount Pinatubo in the Philippians released a large amount of sulfur dioxide gas, that when mixed with water created a toxic substance called sulfuric acid, which was determined to be one of the factors leading to the damage of the ozone layer. (Myers) Due to the intensity of these hazards, people and the environment suffer from its dangerous effects.

Millions of people around the world are currently at risk because of an active volcano near by. Most of these areas can be found along the subduction zones of the Pacific Ocean. This is also where the “Ring of fire”, also known as the circum-Pacific belt, is located, which is the area responsible for over seventy-five percent of active volcanoes. (Charles) People in these kinds of areas are in jeopardy of being exposed to eruptions, ash, lava flows, gasses, pyroclastic flows, climate changes and other hazards that come from the volcanoes nearby, which can cause serious problems to their health. For example, according to an article published by Oregon State University, volcanic ash is highly harmful to peoples breathing because of the excessive amount of toxic chemicals it contains. (Decker) Ash is also known to mound on top of buildings and homes, which can cause them to breakdown onto people and most likely kill them.

Another major way people are affected by these hazards are by pyroclastic flows. In fact, pyroclastic flows are the reason for exactly thirty percent of all volcanic mortalities. (Charles) The environment is also subject to volcanic dangers. For example, depending on the severity of an eruption, people may have to evacuate an area due to the non-repairable damages caused. Among these damages are destroyed roads, landscapes, vehicles, structures, etc., which make these areas inhabitable. Although there are several ways that volcanoes pose a danger to human life and the environment, there are ways in which volcanoes have positively affected people. For example, tourism, geothermal energy, minerals, fertile soils, etc. are reasons for why people choose to live near volcanoes. ("Geography Site: Why Do People Live near Volcanoes") This makes for several reasons to stay within close range of these volcanoes, while they are non-eruptive, which for most of the part they tend to be. Although there are some motives for staying in these areas, people continue to be cautious and stay aware of the activities of a nearby volcano provided by scientists.

Advances in technology have helped scientists find ways to monitor and predict volcanic eruptions. For example, cameras, satellite imagers, instruments that measure and detect volcanic ashes, etc. are some of the tools used by volcanologists to monitor and record volcanic activity. (Marie) These are tools that have also facilitated the way the public can keep up with these records, as most of them are published on official websites and newsletters. There are also methods, similar to ones used for earthquakes that are used to follow active volcanoes such as gas and seismic monitoring, which work by detecting rock movement within the crust of the earth. (Marie) Although volcanoes can be highly unpredictable, volcanologists have developed better and newer ways in predicting volcanic eruptions throughout time.

In conclusion, I have learned about the different kinds of volcanic hazards, how it affects the environment and humanity, and how advances in technology are keeping people safer from volcanic hazards. It is important to be aware these facts, considering they are real world issues occurring today and will affect the future. Overall, I truly enjoyed researching this topic and gaining more knowledge on the kinds of hazards that volcanoes produce.

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