Two volcanoes in Mexico, Popocatepetl and Colima, have shown increased activity and are threatening to erupt. While current eruptions are not considered dangerous, Popocatepetl poses a threat to Mexico City if its eruptions become more powerful. There are over 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide that could erupt at any time, and eruptions of 11 highly active volcanoes including Katla in Iceland, Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Nyamuragira in the Democratic Republic of Congo would be especially devastating due to their proximity to populated areas.

1. TWO OF MEXICO’S DANGEROUS
VOLCANOES THREATENING TO ERUPT

2. Popocatapatele and Colima,
two of Mexico’s volcanoes,
are acting up again
February 5, 2015
For now the eruptions are not
considered to be dangerous and no
evacuations have been ordered.

3. POPOCATEPL: EMMITING GAS
ABD ASH PLUMES

4. POPOCATEPL: A THREAT TO
MEXICO CITY

5. COLIMA: A NORE DISTANT
THREAT

6. WARNING:
Don’t forget that the
world’s 1498 other
active volcanoes can
erupt anytime, also.

7. GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION OF 1,500
ACTIVE VOLCANOES

8. 11 VOLCANOES THE WORLD
HOPES WILL NOT ERUPT AGAIN
• Eyjafjallajökull
and Katla
(ICELAND)
• Chaiten
• Krakatau
• Merapi
• Colimas
• Vesuvius
• Pinatubo
• Mount Rainier
• Nevada del Ruiz
• Popocatepl
• Nyirangongo
(CONGO)

9. A RE-ERUPTION OF ANY
OF THESE ACTIVE
VOLCANOES IS LIKELY TO
BE VERY DEVASTATING,
LOCALLY, REGIONALLY,
AND GLOBALLY

10. LATERAL BLAST
VOLCANIC
ERUPTIONS
PYROCLASTIC FLOWS
FLYING DEBRIS
VOLCANIC ASH
LAVA FLOWS
LAHARS
TOXIC GASES
CAUSES
OF RISK
DISASTER
LABORATORIES

11. WHAT MAKES A VOLCANO
ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS
• Location and a
large explosivity
index (VEI)
combine to make
some volcanoes
especially
dangerous.

12. LOCATION NEAR CITIES MAKES SOME
VOLCANOES VERY DANGEROUS
An eruption at some locations
is certain to be devastating to
people, their property, their
health, the community infra-
structure, the environment, and
the economy.

13. The Eyjafjallajökull and Katla
Volcanoes: Southern Iceland

14. EUROPEAN AIR TRAFFIC
DISRUPTED: APRIL 15, 2010

15. The 800-meter fissure caused by
the first eruption, which grew to 1.2
km in the second eruption, could be
heading towards the Myrdalsjokall
glacier, which sits atop the powerful
Katla volcano

16. An eruption of the Katla
volcano, located under the
massive Myrdalsjokull icecap,
could cause disastrous local
flooding, explosive blasts, and
eruption clouds that would
disrupt air traffic between
Europe and the USA.

17. VOLCANO CHAITEN ERUPTS:
CHILE: MAY 3, 2008

18. CHAITEN ERUPTED AFTER 8,000-
10,000 YEAR DORMANCY
•THE 1,200 M (3,550 FT) VOLCANO
SENT ASH HIGH INTO THE SKY.
• “VOLCANIC EARTHQUAKES
WERE TRIGGERED IN THE AREA.
•1,500 RESIDENTS EVACUATED,
MOSTLY BY BOAT

19. Krakatau
• 26-27 August, 1883
• The big one!
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Krakatau.html

20. The 1883 Krakatoa Eruption
!
Anak Krakatoa—Son of Krakatoa

21. MOUNT MERAPI:
INDONESIA

22. INDONESIA’S MOUNT MERAPI
ERUPTED IN MAY & JUNE, 2006
• Mount Merapi
emitted lava,
debris, and a
pyroclastic flow
on May 15, but
this one was
not devastating.

23. EXPLOSIVENESS OF JUNE 8
ERUPTION SENT 15,000 FLEEING

24. MOUNT VESUVIUS: ITALY; A
THREAT TO NAPLES

25. Mount Somma-Vesuvius
• Location: Bay
Naples, east of the
city of Naples, Italy
• Last eruption:
March, 1944

26. MOUNT FUJI: JAPAN; A THREAT
TO TOKYO

27. MT. PINATUBO: THE PHILIPPINES;
JUNE 15, 1991

28. Pinatubo was the second largest
eruption of the 20th century and the
largest to impact a densely
populated area.

29. MOUNT RAINIER: THREAT TO
WASHINGTON (USA)

30. MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR
SIMULATION

31. MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR
SIMULATION

32. MOUNT RAINIER: LAHAR
SIMULATION

33. NEVADA DEL RUIZ:
COLOMBIA; A 1985 DISASTER

34. The lahar generated by the eruption
of Nevada del Ruiz buried 25,000
people in the city of Armero as they
slept.

35. Africa's most active
volcano.

36. NYIRANGONGO: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO; A THREAT TO GOMA

37. ERUPTION OF NYIRANGONGO:
JANUARY 2, 2010