AN Edinburgh-based expert says it is essential we understand the potential hazard posed by active volcanoes – after new research showed one of the world’s most active volcanoes might be 10 times more explosive than previously thought.
Volcanologists from the British Geological Survey (BGS) have combined new data with published research and say it shows that, even with a detailed record of past explosive eruptions, our understanding of the full range of explosive eruptions may still be limited.
Colima volcano in Mexico is one of the most active volcanoes in North America; it has erupted more than 50 times since 1519, with the last significant eruption in January 1913.
The researchers say this is significant, as volcanic hazard assessments are typically based on known past eruptions, therefore the better our understanding of eruptive history, the better our understanding of the hazards.
Dr Julia Crummy, from BGS’s Lyell Centre at Heriot-Watt University, reported her findings in the Journal of Applied Volcanology, and believes they could apply to other volcanoes around the world.
She said: “Current hazard assessments for Colima are based on its last major eruption in 1913. Colima’s eruptions are well-documented but we had little knowledge of the frequency or magnitude of eruptions that took place at any time before 1519.
“For the first time, we have modelled the volume and magnitude of five prehistoric explosive events at Colima and our results show that we might still underestimate the volume of these eruptions.”
“Globally, an estimated 800 million people live within 100km of a volcano that has the potential to erupt, so it is essential that we understand the scale of the hazards involved.”
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