Volcanoes seem like a natural disaster event waiting to happen. Think about it, in terms of its structure, it appears like that of a mountain. Only, instead of a “cap” at the top, there is instead a gaping “mouth” that leads to the inside of a volcano.
Yet, we see that millions upon millions of people still choose to live in villages, towns, or even cities near a volcano! For instance, the Indonesian island, Java, is home to at least 120 million people. These 120 million people are neighbors to 30 volcanoes.
If these forces of nature have such a destructive force attached to them, why are they so close to civilization?
The volcano itself
If there’s one thing that people know volcanoes for the most, it’s that they erupt, and send smoke everywhere. To add on to that, depending on the scale and power of the eruption, volcanoes can cause magma to leak out anywhere from the top to even the size.
If the eruption is particularly strong, it is called an explosive eruption, and it can be seen in the same way that a bottle of fizzy soda spurts out when you shake the bottle before opening it.
Can a volcanic eruption be prevented?
Unfortunately, no, as all of the pieces that will cause a volcanic eruption to occur inside the earth’s crust layer, there is no way as of today to prevent a volcanic eruption from occurring.
We can, however, predict when a volcano might erupt to prepare people that live nearby. However, there is a caveat. Experts who study things like the rocks found in the volcano and the earth’s crust as well as the gases found inside a volcano are only able to accurately predict a volcano eruption the closer it is to actually erupting.
In other words, a volcano that might erupt in an hour can be predicted with ease. A volcano that might erupt in a week will be predicted with uncertainty but still confidence that will happen. A volcano that might erupt in months would be astoundingly hard to predict, and you better forget about predicting a volcano that might erupt in years.
Dangers when it erupts
Volcanoes are a hotspot of danger when they are active, putting nearby communities and cities at risk when they are. There are a lot of ways that a volcano can be considered other than extremely hot magma of the earth that a volcano can spew out.
Such dangers include:
Volcanic air pollution – A volcano that is active emits a lot of smoke. The most abundant gas of it is water vapor, which is harmless. However, volcanoes have also been known to emit significant amounts of more dangerous gases, like sulfur dioxide, hydrogen halides, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide, which are hazardous to our lungs.
Ash – Usually a major part of the smoke expelled by volcanoes during eruptions, volcanic ash is extremely dangerous to your inner organs. Despite being the size of fine dust particles, ash itself is very hard and usually have a lot of jagged edges and can easily cut through, wound, or even scar your inner organs if you breathe too much of it.
Earthquakes – A volcano can cause earthquakes, thanks to the movement of magma beneath the surface of the planet. Its severity varies. Scientists use these earthquakes as well to monitor volcanic activity.
Tsunamis – An infrequent occurrence but a dangerous one, nonetheless. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are highly likely to cause tsunamis to surrounding areas especially if it is near the ocean or sea.
Lava projectiles – It is not uncommon for explosive eruptions to throw up large chunks of rocks or hardened magma in the air, which causes it to land miles away. This can cause a severe threat to property, crops, and even the lives of people that might be caught in its direction. As a result, explosive volcano eruptions can bring danger far beyond the proximity of the volcano itself.
Why do people choose to live near volcanoes then?
Despite all the risks outlines, many people still choose to live near or even build entire communities and cities near volcanoes, which might be dumbfounding. After all, aren’t they putting themselves in danger?
The answer is yes. Volcanoes are no joke, and all it takes is for one eruption to send the entire place tumbling. Even an active volcano can pose a threat to the livelihood of the people around it simply by being active.
However, it is also true that a volcano brings a lot of geothermal energy, which is essential for powering the technology and other systems of nearby communities. To add onto that, the soil in such areas is rich in mineral deposits, meaning that there are plenty of farming opportunities for people.
But there can be a multitude of other reasons as well: People not having the financial means to move, people wanting to use the volcano/es as a tourist attraction, etc.
The truth is, a lot of people still depend on volcanoes as of this moment, because of the way volcanoes work. We have managed to find a way to harness its energy while also utilizing its benefits for our jobs.
This is why people still proceed and take the risk of living near a volcano, either because they have no choice, their livelihood depends on it, or to harness the energy coming from it.