It has been almost 2,000 years since one of the biggest volcano eruptions on record buried the ancient city of Pompeii near Rome. Fortunately, volcanic eruptions like that one are rare. However, even smaller-scale eruptions can have devastating consequences. Volcanoes are erratic, making it almost impossible to predict when they will erupt. Many volcanoes throughout the world continue to be active, and even recent eruptions have left behind a trail of death and destruction. Here are just three of the biggest volcano eruptions in the last 50 years.
1. Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It erupted in 1991 and registered a 6 on the volcanic eruption index, making it the biggest volcano eruption since the Krakatoa eruption in 1883. Though tens of thousands of people were able to evacuated and protected from harm (only 847 died), the volcano still spit out billions of tons of magma, putting vast quantities of materials into the atmosphere. The eruption contributed to the depletion of the ozone and helped to lower global temperatures.
2. El Chichon
El Chicon is located near Chiapas, Mexico, in Francisco León. When the volcano erupted in 1982, it put out 7 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide and killed 3,500 people. The eruption registered a 5 on the volcano eruption index. It resulted in creation of an acidic crater lake, the loss of livestock and crops, and up to $55 million in damage to the infrastructure.
3. Mount St. Helens
Two years before El Chichon erupted, Mount St. Helens in Washington State also registered a 5 on the volcano eruption index. It was the biggest volcano eruption in the history of the United States, and it resulted in the death of 57 people and the destruction of hundreds of homes and infrastructure like bridges, highway and railway. The volcano’s peak was reduced by over 1,000 feet, and a large crater remains. Finally, a monument was created at the volcano to honor the victims and to study the science behind the monumental eruption.
Featured Image from Georg Eiermann/Unsplash
