By Paige Cross           

ATTENTION:

THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL WEBSITE. IT'S CONTENTS ARE THE WORK OF A COLLEGE STUDENT, NOT AN ACCREDITED VOLCANOLOGIST, SEISMOLOGIST, GEOLOGIST, OR ANYONE ELSE YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY TAKE SERIOUSLY.

Colima’s Consequences

“Don’t dance on a volcano.”

-         French Proverb

 Fig. 4.13 Ahh...what a beautiful mountain.

Vs. 

Fig. 4.14 Fat Man, the atomic bomb that

was dropped over Nagasaki during WWII.

Which one is safer?

  Fig. 4.12 An atomic bomb blast that bears an eerie resemblance to Fig. 4.11

Want to guess again? 

Not-So-Fun Fact

At the height of Mt. St. Helen’s cataclysmic eruption on May 15, 1980, the volcano produced the energy proportional to “one Hiroshima size atomic bomb”¹⁴…

Every second.

A case of Jekyll and Hyde:

     Majestic Mountains/Violent Volcanoes

            Lured by breathtaking, postcard-perfect scenery. Beckoned by the challenge of a climb.  Drawn by the ultimate snow-draped ski slope. Enticed by abundant, fertile earth.   

            There are a myriad of reasons why people visit and inhabit volcanoes and the land that surrounds them.  To some, they provide recreation; for others, subsistence.  These farmers, avid adventurers, or simple village-dwellers often do not realize the devastation that even a dormant volcano is capable of producing.  Even worse, however, is that many are aware, yet they shrug off the seismic shudders and sweep up the ash, rationalizing, deceiving themselves of the danger. 

            Due to population pressures, the percentage of people being forced into uncomfortable proximity with the world’s volcanoes is increasing at an alarming rate.  Consequently, awareness of the awesome and terrible power contained within these paradoxical peaks is more crucial than ever. 

Unfortunately, it is not enough to know only that something will happen; in order to avoid chronic paranoia, it is useful to know what, when, where, and how it will happen, as well.  This is exactly the purpose and lofty pursuit of volcanic monitoring organizations and volcanologists around the world: making sure that no one ends up like these guys…

Fig. 4.9 Pre-Hazard Maps: The aftermath of the 79 A.D. eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.

An Introduction to Ignimbrites

And such.

First of all: just kidding - nothing is going to be that technical.  But if you are still wondering, ignimbrites are “deposits of pumiceous pyroclastic currents.” ¹⁴

Now, the average person does not know an ignimbrite from a hyaloclastite. Even simply asking to pronounce a term like jokulhlaups is probably too much, considering the apparent difficulty some have merely in saying “lava” (lah-va, not lay-va).  Consequently, before throwing around terms like tephra from a crater, a few definitions seem necessary.

1. Hazard. Implies the volcanic event, including its nature and likelihood, as well as to whom and to what degree it will have an impact. In other words, whether you should run or not.

2. Risk. The qualitative and quantitative measure of the impact on the affected society.  Basically, how fast you should run, and if running will help you, your house, or your cows.

Ok, so they aren’t that technical, but the rest will be explained as they become relevant.

So what are the risks and hazards associated with volcanoes?

The Hazard Handbook

Volcanic Phenomena

 

            

     

 

 

larger view

 

What Makes Them Dangerous?

 

 

 

 

larger view

 

And most importantly…

Can one run away from them?

larger view

But no volcano displays all of these behaviors…

Or do they?

Fig. 4.11 Cheesy B-movie

 Anyway… so what are the risks associated with Colima?

Danger: Defined

Suppose that you are thinking of purchasing some property in the foothills of Volcán de Colima. The real estate is cheap, and the view from the valley is priceless.  Yet you might wonder if by living next to this volcano, you are paying a much steeper price than you bargained for…

Who does this information apply to?

Approximately 390,000 people live within 40 kilometers of the Volcán de Colima¹³.

La Yerbabuena, La Becerrera, Barranca de Agua, Rancho el Jabilí, Suchitlán, San Antonio and Rancho la Joya, Juan Barragán, Agostadero, Los Machos, El Borobollón, Durazno, San Marcos, Tonila, Cofradía de Tonila, Causentla, El Fresnal, Atenguillo, Saucillo, El Embudo, Chayán, Quesería, Ciudad Guzmán, Tuxpan, Colima, Villa de Álvarez, Comala, Cuahtémoc, etc.¹⁸

Hazard Maps and their Interpretations

So you don't have to!

1. Lava (click for enlarged version and detail)      

2. Debris Flows (click for enlarged version and detail)     

3. Tephra (click for enlarged version and detail)  

What should be done?

Now that you have seen the hazard maps, you might want to know what to do in case you happen to be standing, traveling, eating lunch, or even living within one of the hazard zones during an eruption.

Besides run.

Sound advice, certainly, but there is no need to pack up and flee the state every time an eruption occurs.  Inconvenience is to be expected, but sometimes there are things that can be done before and during an eruptive event to maximize quality of life.

Such as not putting your foundation in on top of recent pyroclastic flow deposits, for one.

As an individual, here is what you can do:

• I'm an English speaker and I want to know what to do.

• Hablo espanol y no se como me he llegado a este sitio, pero quiero saber lo que debo hacer.

What about the bigger picture?

Well, in a perfect world, the risks posed by Colima could be reduced by:

a. Relocating everyone within 500 km of the volcano somewhere else that is not also within 500 km of a different volcano (in Mexico, good luck...).  This way, not even a little bit of ash will affect them!

b. Constructing a giant containing wall made of indestructible material around the volcano

c. Filling in all the valleys and damming all the rivers so that pyroclastic flows and lahars will not be able to form

Alas, we do not live in a perfect world or in a massively altered reality in which any of those options would be monetarily, physically, or even theoretically possible or plausible.

Therefore, risk must be mitigated through more feasible measures.

First, if buildings or cities exposed to volcanic hazards such as pyroclastic flows and lahars, primarily, cannot be relocated, then it is necessary to change the conditions that produce these dangerous events.  Although one cannot stop the internally-driven production of ash by the volcano, it is possible to change, to some degree, the external elements that contribute to the formation of pyroclastic flows and lahars.  The easiest method would be simply to deviate the channel, whether a valley or a river, away from populated areas.  However, it is also understood that this could have potentially serious consequences in areas reliant upon the water provided, for example.  Therefore, the best method is, as always, prevention, for as the saying goes, an ounce of it equals a pound of cure.  On that note, all construction should consider volcanic hazards. Bridges over lahar-prone rivers or valleys should be constructed so that their supports will not be exposed to damage caused by large boulders or violent, thick, flows, and should be substantially distanced from the banks, which could collapse.  This applies to other constructions, as well - distance is one of the key factors in preventing problems caused by volcanoes. Infrastructure, such as electric, telephone, and transportation elements should be sturdy and, obviously, located as far as possible from the volcano itself and from areas of potential danger. They should also be capable of withstanding large quantities of ash in any instance. Houses and other buildings, similarly, should be constructed so as to avoid roof collapse, which is by far the most common problem created by ash fall.  As always, a solid foundation of widespread education and information dissemination is key - hazard maps should be distributed, evacuation routes should be well-marked, and the population should be informed of the dangers associated with living in the vicinity of a volcano.  And this, of course, would not be possible without constant, vigorous monitoring, aided by the acquisition of the best technology and teams possible. 

Luckily, the risk to the populations huddled around this volcano already appears very minimal.  Evacuations are very rare, and substantial harm is usually inflicted only upon the unfortunate livestock set out to graze on the flanks or to the crops grown in the fertile soil where few individuals would actually dare to settle.  Monitoring efforts seem adequate for the level of threat presented and the largest zone of population is quite well removed from the reaches of the hazards possible today.