Slideshow:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/10551746/Volcano-Mount-Sinabung-in-Sumatra-Indonesia-erupts-spewing-lava-and-ash.html
Showing posts with label volcanic eruptions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label volcanic eruptions. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
20150816 BBC_Montserrat: Living with a volcano
Janet Edwards
There is little danger of being late for lunch in Montserrat.
At 12:00 sharp every day, the mournful wail of the tiny island's volcano sirens cut through the air like a knife.
The ominous soundtrack to life in this British overseas territory can be heard across inhabited parts of its 100 sq km (39 sq miles).
Residents know if the sirens blare at any moment but noon, it's time to run - fast.
Janet Edwards
Taunting in its perpetuity is the steam and bluish haze of sulphur dioxide emitted from the slumbering monster in the south, whose constant threat pervades the atmosphere like a viscous liquid.
Incessant activity
This is the reality for those living in the shadow of Soufriere Hills.
Last month, Montserratians marked 20 years since the start of the volcanic crisis which has rendered two-thirds of the island an exclusion zone, turned the capital city into an apocalyptic movie scene deep in ash and changed life here forever.
Gemma Handy
Few imagined when a vent in the volcano - dormant for several hundred years - began smoking on 18 July 1995 that it would awaken with such a vengeance.
Or that its incessant activity, rather than the sudden brief explosions favoured by Hollywood, would continue to this day.
Back in the early 90s, Montserrat's future looked bright.
A mammoth cleanup after devastating Hurricane Hugo in 1989 had seen the construction of much modern infrastructure and the territory was experiencing unprecedented prosperity.
There was even talk of independence from Britain.
Fiery spectacle
When the hills first started to emit their brilliant white steam, islanders say it was mesmerising and exciting. People would gather in the evenings to watch the fiery incandescence in awe.
It was 14 months before the first eruption took place in September 1996, sweeping away the villages of St Patrick's and Morris in less than 20 minutes.
Getty Images
Getty Images
That year, the capital Plymouth was evacuated for the final time - abandoned to become slowly buried under repeated mudflows - and a state of emergency declared.
Today, Soufriere remains one of the most active volcanoes in the world.
The population has plummeted from 11,500 to 5,000 with the south of the island divided into five zones.
Permission to access them is dependent on the current hazard level.
Strong bonds
Over the years, businesses have rebuilt in the north, municipal offices have relocated to Brades and the government has created new housing at Lookout, Davy Hill, Shinlands, Drummonds and Sweeneys.
Janet Edwards
Despite the gases and ash falls - which occasionally reach as far as Antigua - Montserrat's stoic inhabitants largely go about their business unperturbed, refusing to be defined as living on the precipice of peril.
Tourists are politely told that "Montserrat is not a volcano; it has a volcano" and assured that the north remains entirely safe, with Soufriere under round-the-clock monitoring by a purpose-built observatory.
As is often the way in the aftermath of disaster, the close-knit community has forged stronger bonds than ever.
Crime is a rarity, front doors are unlocked, songs of hope and healing, solidarity and unity, are ubiquitous.
Gemma Handy
These days, the "emerald isle" is carving a niche for itself in adventure tourism with holidaymakers attracted to its "black sand" beaches and the allure of experiencing a modern-day Pompeii.
Future plans
In the ruined Montserrat Springs hotel - once one of the island's finest - visitors can scrabble through the ash into the reception where paperwork still sits on the desk and into bedrooms where curtains hang against wrecked walls.
Gemma Handy
Gemma Handy
Gemma Handy
From the side of the ravaged swimming pool, Plymouth is visible just east of a huge fissure which appears in the desolate landscape like a jaw wide open in astonishment.
Veronica Hickson's house is one of the few in Plymouth that's not completely buried.
She recalls the evacuation order that came on 3 April 1996. "I've been back since to see my house," she says. "It's sad but we have to continue our lives."
Janet Edwards
In addition to tourism, hope for the future lies in geothermal energy exploration and the exportation of volcanic sand for construction.
Islanders are keen to reduce reliance on Britain for financial help - £420m ($655m) since 1995.
Former Governor Frank Savage, who presided over affairs from 1993 to 1997, recently paid tribute to the "stoicism" of Montserratians and their "indomitable spirit" which he said would lead to ever greater recovery.
New Governor Elizabeth Carriere, who takes up position this month, agrees. "Montserrat's future lies in the hands of its most valuable resource: its people," she said.
"I will work with the island's government to realise a safe, sustainable and prosperous Montserrat."
Ms Carriere added: "Better sea links, tapping opportunity for geothermal energy and improving technological links to the wider world all have a part to play."
20150829 BBC_Kilauea volcano spews out molten lava in Hawaii
Lava from a volcano on Hawaii's Big Island has been spewing out of a newly formed opening.
20150917 BBC_Japanese volcano Mount Aso erupts unexpectedly
A volcano on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu has erupted, sending clouds of black smoke and ash into the air.
Friday, June 5, 2015
20150606 BBC_Malaysia mountain quake: Two dead as survivors attempt to descend
Two people have died and more than 100 have been left stranded after an earthquake near Malaysia's highest peak, officials say.
The bodies of a local guide and a 12-year-old Singaporean girl were recovered from Mount Kinabalu, on the island of Borneo, local media say.
The 6.0 magnitude earthquake triggered landslides, trapping 137 climbers on the mountain.
Many have been trying to descend with the help of park rangers and guides.
Police chief Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman confirmed the two fatalities but would not give any further details.
Initial attempts to rescue the survivors, some of whom are trapped under rocks, had to be abandoned because of bad weather. Helicopters were unable to land and the climbing route was made dangerous by rocks and boulders.
Several of those injured have successfully made it down and many more are expected to reach base camp by Saturday morning, according to Sabah Parks director Jamili Nais.
The earthquake was so powerful it also snapped off one of Mount Kinabalu's "Donkey's Ear" peaks.
The tourism minister for Sabah state said that 32 guides were assisting the climbers on their way down, with the group moving "cautiously due to (a) damaged trail".
"Other than ongoing rescue efforts, our priority is to send food, drinks and warm clothing to those still stranded on the mountain," he said.
Some of the group had climbed to the summit to watch the sunrise as the earthquake struck.
The US Geological Survey said the quake happened at around 07:15 local time (00:15 BST), at a depth of 10km (32,800ft). The epicentre was 54km (33 miles) from Mount Kinabalu, which stands at 4,095m.
Many climbers are attracted to the challenging "via ferrata" climbing route, where cables, metal rungs and bridges are set into the rocks on the steep terrain to help people ascend.
All activity on the mountain has now been suspended.
Climbing Mt Kinabalu
- Climbing up and down Mt Kinabalu takes on average two days and one night. There are two trails - the Summit trail and the more advanced Mesilau trail
- The Summit trail begins at Timpohon Gate (1,800m; 5,906 ft)
- It takes about 6-8 hours to reach Laban Rata (3,273m; 10,738 ft) where climbers rest for a few hours
- They usually depart for the summit at 02:00 in the morning, reaching it 4-5 hours later before descending the mountain
Earlier, one person apparently trapped on the mountainside said on Facebook:"Currently we're waiting for the helicopter to save us.
"We cannot go down for now because there are lots of stones falling, there's no safe route down, and there are still tremors. Thank you for all your concern and prayers."
The woman identified herself as Charlene Dmp.
The quake also damaged roads and buildings, including schools and a hospital on Sabah's west coast.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
20131121 BBC_Volcanic eruption gives birth to 'new island' in Japan
Pictures released by the Japanese coast guard show a new island forced up by an underwater volcanic eruption in the seas a thousand kilometres south of the capital Tokyo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)