When the Earth erupts… 10 th Form

Match the description of a disaster and its name: 1.It lifted a car at about 10 feet off the ground and then we saw it disappeared down the street. 2.It was about 2 metres deep and we watched as most of our furniture just floated away. 3.The grass turned yellow and most of the crops died. 4.The walls began to move visibly and large cracks opened up in the ground. 5.We could see the lava slowly advancing towards the town just 10 miles away. Earthquake, flood, volcano eruption, hurricane, drought.

A volcano – a mountain with a large opening (crater) at the top, through which melting rock (lava), steam, gases escape from time to time with explosive force from inside the Earth.

There are more than 1500 active volcanoes in the world. Volcanoes are the most exciting and powerful natural event on earth, and provide dynamic and varied landforms. Every day there are about 20 volcanoes erupting on the earth.

Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius volcano, John Seach

Mount Vesuvius is one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. The volcano has an eruption cycle of about 20 years, but the last eruption was in The volcano is rated as one of the most dangerous in the world with millions of people living close to the crater. In 79 AD an eruption of the volcano destroyed Pompeii and its remains are a popular tourist attraction south of Napoli. In recent years there has been an attempt to relocate some resident from the slopes of the volcano to reduce the risk from the next eruption.

Volcano Live - John Seach Volcano Live website is created by Australian scientist and volcano adventurer John Seach. It is the world's first volcano news and travel website. The site contains over 3200 pages of information, and receives more than 25 million hits per year.

John Seach monitors global volcanism and provides a resource to the international community through this website. John Seach is a scientist and the world's leading volcano adventurer. Over the past 22 years John has travelled to the world's most exciting volcanoes, and witnessed eruptions during trips to more than 180 volcanoes. John has been providing unique tours to the world's most active volcanoes since 1989.

What is a tsunami? A tsunami is a wave generated by physical disturbance. What causes tsunamis? Tsunamis can be caused by landslide, earthquake, or volcanic eruption. Asteroid or comet impact in the ocean can also create a tsunami.

Tsunami waves at sea Tsunami waves are different from normal wind generated waves. Tsunamis produce water movement all the way to the ocean floor. Tsunamis may consist of 10 or more waves in a "tsunami wave train". Individual waves may follow from 5 to 90 minutes apart.

Tsunamis near shore Tsunami waves change as they approach the shore. Tsunami waves are larger on larger islands where there is more time for them to "feel" the bottom. Tsunami waves slow down as they approach the shore. A 1 m high tsunami at sea may reach 15 m in height as it reaches the shore.

Thailand, November, 2004

Thailand, December, 2004

Earthquakes are a movement of the earth caused by a sudden release of stresses.

The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater had been recorded. The Haitian Government reported that an estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless. They also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.

Volcanology is the study of volcanoes. The role of volcanology is to gain an understanding of how volcanoes work, to further scientific knowledge, provide eruption hazard assessment, monitoring, and crisis management. One of the most important roles of volcanology is to foresee hazardous events, and save lives when an eruption occurs.

Seach's Law of Volcanology: You will miss the eruption. Corollary one: If two volcanoes are about to erupt, you will go to the wrong one. Corollary two: If one volcano is about to erupt you will either get there one day too late or leave one day too early. Corollary three: The vent will erupt while you are changing films. Corollary four: The volcano will erupt while it is covered in clouds. Corollary five: You have to sleep sometime.

Classic Volcano Quotes by John Seach

"This ground is hot enough to cook the Sunday roast!" John Seach (Volcanologist) just before his boots melted on the hot ground. Lopevi Volcano 2000 "Most volcanologists die in bed." Volcanologist Maurice Krafft

"I have seen so many eruptions in the last 20 years that I don't care if I die tomorrow." Maurice Krafft (Volcanologist) on the day before he was killed on Unzen Volcano, Japan 1991 "Do we need to bring a sleeping bag, or will the volcano keep us warm at night?" Documentary producer at Mt Etna in 2000

"This is just like Yellowstone." American tourist at Krakatoa volcano, Indonesia. March 2008 "What time does the volcano erupt?" Tourist on Mt Etna in 2000

"We'll just look at you. If you looked scared then we'll panic." Discovery Channel crew comments to Volcanologist John Seach while filming at Yasur Volcano in 2000 "I don't need a guide..." Tourist boasting while on Ambrym Volcano Hours later he was lost!

But eruptions can be so beautiful!