Updated December 2004
The USGS have some magnificent resources on the eruption of MOUNT ST HELENS with hundreds of images and reports on the recovery of the ecosystems in the blast zone. There is some excellent GENERAL INFORMATION on the volcano here, and a wonderful CNN article by JACK HAMANN which has links to other stories.
This site has some information on the legendary HARRY TRUMAN who refused to leave because as he said: "this goddammed mountain won't blow" - and he is still there in his cabin, somewhere near Mt. St. Helens.
These sites fit in nicely with a video we have which counts down the seconds to the eruption, and is called GOING CRITICAL.
For breaking volcanic eruption news, go to THE BEST VOLCANO SITE ON THE WEB: VOLCANO LIVE. It's run by the Australian vulcanologist John Seach and has some tremendous materials. An essential visit, and a Top Ten site. Recommended. One of the great sections on there is the section on VOLCANO SAFETY RULES which looks at essential tips to survival should you find yourself near a volcano. You need to consider the various zones: the EXTREME RISK ZONE sounds good - you can download a scary video clip lasting 3 minutes showing John Seach and a colleague descending into the crater of an active volcano and collecting a lava bomb.
One of the most useful sites I have come across is the USGS page going in detail through all the effects of volcanic activity which then links to all the information you could possibly need on the gamut of igneous activities. Everything is in the GLOSSARY. There are also lots of IMAGES OF VOLCANIC LANDFORMS.
Crater lakes are also a tremendous danger. There are some lakes where dangerous levels of Carbon dioxide build up. When these are released, they can catch people unawares, as happened in villages near Lake Nyos in Cameroon in August 1986. Details of the LAKE NYOS incident are here, or on this PAGE. The Tangiwai disaster occured when the lahars washed away a railway bridge just as a crowded train reached it. This is featured on the excellent BBC World Physical programme (see TV programmes section..)
Most volcanic activity takes place at PLATE BOUNDARIES, but there are thermal plumes or HOT SPOTS, which have given rise to island arcs like Hawaii.
One of the BEST SITES ever on HOW VOLCANOES WORK is here: part of Project Alert, which is sponsored by NASA. This has everything you could ever want to know and some crosswords... I recommend you work through this site, and also follow the links (although not all of them were very reliable when I tried)
Japan is not only prone to tectonic activity, but is one of the countries which is spending most on trying to predict and deal with eruptions prior to the event. There's a useful site on how the Japanese are COPING WITH ERUPTIONS on a social level. This is well covered by frequent programme broadcast on the Discovery channel. Keep an eye out for a week and you're bound to get something of value to use with groups.
Volcano World offers a VIRTUAL TOUR TO THE SUMMIT of Mount MERAPI, which includes maps of the area
Why do people insist on living near volcanoes despite the risks ? This BBC ARTICLE gives some reasons.
A recent event was the eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo in the D.R Congo in January 2002. There's a RED CROSS article on the aftermath HERE. Also a picture heavy TIME MAGAZINE ARTICLE.
A site containing information on EXTRUSIVE ROCKS here.
A LIST OF THE WORLD'S ACTIVE VOLCANOES: complete with a link to details on each one may be useful for project work.
Some useful VOLCANO MODULES here (useful for teachers..)
An excellent site looking at volcanoes and volcanic activity in ICELAND, part of a virtual field trip. Recommended.
What comes out of volcanoes ? VOLCANO PRODUCTS here. Stuff here on GEOTHERMAL POWER.
This site asks the question: Can we predict volcanic eruptions ?
Hawaiian volcanoes. How do they work ? Details here, plus an excellent photo gallery. Well worth a visit. Good details on what happens when lava meets sea water for example. Links to information on the range of volcanic HAZARDS along with case studies.
Useful text is by Darrell Weyman: called 'Tectonic Processes'. I found a copy in a 2nd hand bookshop for £1.75, which was money well spent. It includes information on the various lava types. Also worth finding 'Plate Tectonics' by D.C.Heather, a little Hodder & Stoughton booklet which focuses on the plate boundaries: extension and compression zones etc.
From time to time the BBC2 programme 'Horizon' features natural hazards, particularly volcanoes. A recent programme in January 2002 was called VOLCANO HELL, and notes can be obtained from the HORIZON area of the BBC website. This has links to other relevant programmes too, and contains an illustrated precis of the programme which makes interesting reading. The programme looks at the possibility of predicting eruptions, based on vibrations caused by rising columns of magma.
A GEOFILE article on Iceland and tectonic activity (amongst other articles) can be downloaded from HERE if you have the time.
There are some very useful Powerpoint lecture slides from Callum Firth and his team at BRUNEL UNIVERSITY. They are up-to-date, and deal with 3 topics: Volcanic hazards, Volcano monitoring, and Mitigating Volcanic hazards. They can be found from THIS PAGE.
An excellent webcam of Popocatapetl, Mexico HERE.
Tectonic hazards are important in New Zealand: a country on the edge of 3 tectonic plates.
There's a very useful book now out in paperback: it's called 'Surviving the Volcano': written by Stanley Williams, an American vulcanologist, it goes through the experiences following the eruption of the Colombian volcano of Galeras in 1993. Several of his colleagues were killed - and others were injured, particularly Stanley Williams. There are some excellent sections on Mount St. Helens, Nevado Del Ruiz, the Kraffts and volcanic hazards and prediction. There's also an ongoing debate on the Internet that there were signs that the volcano that would erupt that were ignored - a book by Victoria Bruce called NO APPARENT DANGER looks at the issues involved. The Williams book is well worth reading. The site has some useful maps, particularly one of Nevado Del Ruiz.
One of the greatest volcanic landscapes on Earth is the North Island of New Zealand. A friend of mine has just completed the Tongariro Crossing walk. This takes in 3 volcanoes: Mt. Tongariro (as you'd expect), Mt. Ruapehu, and Mt. Ngauruhoe. The latter is the model for Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies, and some day I'll get there. See my Tolkien page for details of the Film locations book loaned to me by my colleague Mr. K.
For an alternative view on some natural disasters go to the RADIX site: Radical Interpretations of Disaster, which looks at the 'real' reasons why some LEDC's are so badly hit by disasters. It also considers the need for adequate preparedness, as in the case of Kobe in 1995, and the possibilities for low-cost rebuilding with safer techniques. Has links to many recent DISASTERS. This is a thought provoking site, and if you want to get a real perspective on the wider issues, or are a real 'A' grade candidate, you might want to visit and browse. Has a tremendous amount on Mount Nyiragongo. A recent CASE STUDY potentially to use in an exam situation. Recommended.
An article in The Times in June 2002 suggested that scientists are warning of a major eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which would potentially affect over 1 million people living within a short distance of the volcano in the Naples area. Millions of people around the world live with this daily risk - but all risks are relative.
Volcanic plateaux are one of the features which are least well covered according to a recent examiners' report. Students need to be clearer about the scale and dating and location of these episodes, which can throw out huge volumes of material. The Laki episode in Iceland was one of the largest.
Try to research the lives of Maurice and Katia Krafft, the French vulcanologists who were killed in Japan in 1991. I have an excellent film called 'Consumed by Fire' about their life and work. They have saved countess lives with their videos and teaching materials.
Some useful resources are linked to the TEPAPA site in New Zealand. There is a shake table and some other resources. The area is also related to the development of base isolators, which a colleague of mine actually used to make in a factory in New Zealand. It's a small (and shaky) world...
Some useful VOLCANIC materials HERE.
60 years ago, in February 1943, a Mexican farmer was ploughing his field when he noticed a crack in the field, which had been there for some time, was emitting smoke and fumes. The volcano became the cone of PARACUTIN: which has been dormant ever since this initial activity. There is a church left high and dry by the erupting materials.
People often visit the volcanic areas of Hawaii. They can take a guided tour, but the temptation is likely to be there to stray too close to the lava flows to get a better view. There is an excellent USGS site HERE which features some useful advice on VIEWING LAVA SAFELY - COMMON SENSE IS NOT ENOUGH. This is linked in with the eruptions of Kilauea, which has been erupting almost continuously since 1983. There are some good images such as the ones relating to a lava bench, which people can fall through as it won't necessarily bear their weight.
FERDINANDEA is an island off the coast of Sicily which is only 8m below the surface of the sea. This page has some excellent background material on the island - Sicilian drivers have already planted a plate on the submerged summit of Ferdinandea to claim it for when it emerges from the sea next time round - worth visiting to take a look at the information here
The same site has some wonderful images of PYROCLASTIC FLOWS and the destruction of PLYMOUTH on MONTSERRAT. Some excellent images here.
This is the EDUCETH site. Go there now and see what they have on offer. The site has been added to substantially in recent times. Some superb images and videos. Recommended.
COLORADO Hazards links are very useful.
Re-branding of VOLCANO WORLD here.