Volcanic Hazards

Various Volcano-Related
Hazard
 Lahars
 Ash Fall
 Pyroclastic flow
 Volcanic Gases
 Magma
 Lava flows
 Ballistic Projectiles
Lahars Specific kind of mudflow
made up of volcanic debris

Destructive Characteristics
a. Lahars move rapidly down valleys like rivers of concrete
b. Lahars can occur with or without a volcanic eruption
c. Lahars pick up material as they travel, which can cause damage to
structures in their path
d. Lahars and excess sediment cause serious economic and environmental
damage to river valleys and flood plains
What Is Lahar?
 A lahar is the process wherein wet cement-like mixture of
volcanic material and water flows down the slopes of a
volcano.
 Lahar usually carries fresh eruption material like pyroclastic
flows and tephra fall and also picks older volcanic deposits
along the river channel.
 Large lahars which can flow at a rate of several tens of meters
per second, are impossible for people to outrun.
 The deposits that lahar leave behind are like dry concrete,
sometimes with boulders as big as a house scattered
everywhere.
 How Are Lahars Generated?
• Many lahars are formed by intense rainfall during an eruption.
Rainwater can easily erode loose volcanic material deposited
on the upper slopes of a volcano or along the path of a river on
its way down the slopes.

• Eruptions alone can trigger lahars directly by melting snow and

icecap.

• The breaching of the dam or crater lake by the eruption may

also provide the water that loosens and carries volcanic
materials from the upper slopes.
Effects of Lahars
• Lahars pose danger to people because of the large volume of
materials involved and the speed by which they deliver these
materials.
• Lahars can cause serious economic and environmental damage to
large floodplain areas and to those affected by the severed lifelines.
• Large tracts of agricultural lands and residential areas may be buried
by one or more pulses of lahar deposition.
• Roads may be blocked and bridges destroyed thereby seriously
hampering the normal flow of people and goods.
• After a river channel had been filled by lahar, severe flooding and
extremely high rates of sedimentation may follow.
• Debris of all sorts may form a dam along a river and breaking of the
dam may lead to flash floods and more lahars downstream.
Preventive Measures during Lahars
• Evacuation would be the best preventive measure.
• During a lahar crisis, effective dissemination of lahar hazard
information is necessary.
• A good monitoring and warning system should be in place, just
in case, to alert people early enough so that they can evacuate
to safer places.
• Many methods have been used to stop or at least detour a
lahar. including building retention basins, alternate channels,
tunnels, and concrete structures such as dams across the river
channel and dikes parallel to the channels.
 Fragments of pulverized rock, minerals
Volcanic Ash and volcanic glass measuring less than
2mm; often loosely used to refer to all
explosive eruption products (tephra)

Devastating Effects
Due to widespread distribution by wind, ash fall and
volcanic ash clouds are a major hazard to aviation
Disruption and damage to buildings, infrastructures,
transportation, etc.
Impacts to human and animals
Pyroclastic High-density mix of hot lava block,
pumice, ash and gas. Has 2 parts:
Flow lower (basal) flow and turbulent cloud

Pyroclastic Flows form in different ways:

o Collapse of eruption column
o “boiling over”
o Collapse of lava domes or flows
How Pyroclastic Flows Occur
 Pyroclastic flows are hot mixtures of fresh lava, gas, rock,
pumice, and ash that move down the sides of a volcanic crater
at high speeds during an eruption.
 The materials may come from the collapse of lava dome at or
close to the summit or from the materials going back down
from an eruption column that cannot go farther into the air.
 The mobility and speed of pyroclastic flows are derived from
its gas content and from the heat of its components that
further generates more gases.
 Pyroclastic flows are common in volcanoes composed of
andesite and of the more viscuous, dacitic, and rhyolitic rock
types — rocks that comprise volcanoes displaying more violent
eruptions.
Mechanisms of Pyroclastic
Flow Generation
Effects of Pyroclastic Flows
• Burn

• Impact and burial

• Inhalation of hot ash and gases

• Lahars and flooding

 Contains dissolved gases, which provide the

Magma diving force; As magma rises towards the

surface and pressure decreases gases
released from the liquid portion of the
magma

Harmful effects of volcanic Gases

 Carbon dioxide trapped in low-lying areas can be lethal
to people and animals
 Sulfur Dioxide is irritating to the eyes, skin and
respiratory system
Hydrogen Sulfide is very toxic in high concentrations
Hydrogen halides(HF, HCl,HBr) are strong, toxic acids
Volcanic Gases during Eruption
Volcanic Gases during Eruption
 The most abundant volcanic gas released into the
atmosphere is water vapor (H2O).

 Other volcanic gases include CO2, SO2, and trace amounts of

N, H, CO, S, Ar, Cl, and F. These gases combine with hydrogen
and water to produce toxic compounds, such as HCl, HF,
H2SO4, H2S.

 These gases leave the emission sites as acid aerosols, as

compounds adsorbed on tephra, and as microscopic salt
particles.
Examples of Volcanic Gas
Compositionsin Volume Percent
Concentrations
Toxicology of Volcanic Gases
Toxicology of Volcanic Gases
Volcanic Gas Danger Zones
 Hazard zones for volcanic gases escaping through emission
sites (e.g., craters, vents, fissures, or hydrothermal features)
are typically restricted close to these.

 Gas emission site locations, low-lying areas in which dense

gases can accumulate, and wind directions that favor gas
accumulations are all reflected in defining hazard zones.

 Areas subject to the greatest hazard from “poisonous” gases

will be downslope from emission sites and along the
direction of the wind.
Example of a Volcanic
Gas Hazard Map
Safety Measures against
Volcanic Gases
• When volcanoes continually emit toxic gases that may be
associated with the deposition of fluorine and other trace
elements, evacuation and resettlement of the affected
population is the only viable solution.
• In situations where critical concentrations of volcanic gases
such CO2 and CO as are emitted only occasionally on both
active and dormant volcanoes, automated gas alarms are
being used.
• Among the most important protective gadgets that people
should have for protection from toxic gases and dusts are
face masks.
Safety Measures against
Volcanic Gases
• To prevent worsening of pre-existing non-communicable
respiratory diseases, interstitial lung diseases, and
pulmonary vascular diseases by acid rains, gases, and ash,
the following actions are recommended:
 Drink fluids to encourage loosening of secretions and coughing.
 During periods of volcanic pollution, avoid contact with people who
have colds.
 Avoid smoking and inhaling second-hand as smoke will only add to
breathing problems.
 Avoid overexertion.
 In heavy pollution, stay indoors, close windows and doors, turn on
air conditioners
 Use gas masks.
 Streams of molten rocks that pour or ooze

Lava
from an erupting vent

Factors for lava speed:

1. Type of lava erupted and viscosity

Flows 2. Steepness of the ground

3. Flows as broad sheet, confined channel or
lava tube
4. Rate of lava production
Types of Lava Flow
• Basaltic Lava Flows
 The fastest flowing because of their relatively low
viscosity
 Usually associated with the broad landforms of shield
volcanoes
 Lava flow styles are Pahoehoe and A‘a. The former is
composed of thin flows with smooth surface that
sometimes feature ropy folds, while the latter flows have
sharp, spiny surfaces.
Types of Lava Flow
• Andesitic Lava Flows
 Typically associated with stratovolcanoes and commonly
form lava domes
 Have small volume so they do not usually go beyond the
foot of the volcano
 Because of their viscous nature, the surface of andesitic
flows is comprised of smooth-sided fragments called
block lava flows as the surface fragments are loosely
termed blocks
 Slow by lava flow standards
Types of Lava Flow
• Rhyolitic Lava Flows
 Have relatively higher viscosity which is why it is a lot
slower than andesitic and basaltic flows
 Usually associated with violent eruptions involving
pyroclastic flows and with very steep landforms such as
lava domes and lava spines
 Flow out of a volcano after the pyroclastic flow event
Types of Lava Flow
• Sheet Lava Flows
 Have are thicker than pahoehoe and have surface
textures ranging from ropy to striated
 Are associated with violent eruptions
 Usually collapse as a result of the emptying of lava below
the hardened surface

• Pillow Lava Flows

 Pillow-shaped rocks formed by the sudden cooling of lava that is
deposited underwater
Effects of Lava Flows
• Deaths attributed to lava flows are often due to related
causes, such as:
 Explosive shower of molten spatter over a wide area when lava
interacts with water
 Explosion of methane gas produced by lava burial of vegetation
 Asphyxiation due to accompanying toxic gases
 Pyroclastic flows from a collapsing dome of thick viscous lava flows
 Floods and lahars from ice and snow meltwater or from the
damming of tributaries
• Lava flows bring damage or total destruction to land and
property by burying, crushing, or burning everything in their
paths.
• Lava flows also bury vegetation.
Factors in Lava Flow Hazard Zoning

• Viscosity of lava flows

• Effusion rate

• Slope of the land

Tephra Falls and Ballistic
Projectiles
Tephra Falls
 Tephra refers to volcanic rock and lava materials that are
ejected into the air by explosions or carried upward by
eruption column‘s hot gases or lava fountains.
 Tephra falls, which skip hugging the slope and go directly to
the ground, range in size from less than 2 mm to more than 1
m in diameter.
 Large-sized tephra typically falls back to the ground on or close
to the volcano and progressively smaller fragments are carried
away from the vent by wind.
 Ash can travel hundreds to thousands of kilometers downwind
from a volcano.
 Ballistic Projectiles
Rock that an erupting volcano may
hurl in the air. These blocks travel like
cannonballs and land within 2km of
vent; Propelled rock fragments
Ballistic Projectiles

 Ballistic projectiles are a special kind of tephra.

 These follow a projectile path as these are forced out of the

vent at steep angles like a cannon ball.

 They consist of bombs, blocks, and lapilli.

Types of Tephra Deposits
According to Size
• Ash
‒ fragments 2 mm in diameter; mix of broken glass and
pulverized rock

• Lapilli
‒ fragments 2–64 mm in diameter; bigger pumice
fragments mixed with finer ash

• Blocks and Bombs

‒ fragments 64 mm and bigger in diameter; bombs are
molten when ejected and assume various shapes upon cooling;
blocks are large broken pieces of solid vent material or
surrounding rocks
Types of Tephra Deposits
According to Origin, Composition,
and Texture, as Well as
Appearance
Dangers From Tephra Falls
and Ballistic Projectiles
• Airborne fine particles are a health hazard.

• Ash is made up of pulverized rock but can be extremely

heavy if it gets wet. People should watch out for ash
accumulation on roofs as this may cause the roofs to cave in
and cause injury or even death.
Dangers From Tephra Falls
and Ballistic Projectiles
• Tephra fall and ballistic projectiles also endanger life, property,
and the environment in the following ways:
 Small scoria pieces can be embedded in wood and can even dent
metals.
 Even thin (<2 cm) falls of ash can damage critical facilities (e.g.,
hospitals, electric-generating plants, and pumping stations); can short
circuit electric-transmission facilities, telephone line radio and
television transmitters; and block the flow of surface-drainage systems.
 Ash clogs filters and vents of motors, industrial machines, and nuclear
power plants; may clog air filters of vehicles including those of jet
engines; and abrasion of moving parts (bearings, brakes, and
transmissions) and bodies of automobiles.
Dangers From Tephra Falls
and Ballistic Projectiles
• Tephra fall and ballistic projectiles also endanger life, property,
and the environment in the following ways:
 Airborne ash can reduce visibility to zero and turn day to night by
blocking sunlight.
 Volcanic projectiles have temperatures above ignition points. Initial
temperatures of projectiles generated from new magma may reach up
to 1100°C. Upon impact, temperatures may well be above the ignition
point for vegetation and a variety of man-made objects.
 Some pyroclastic falls contain toxic gases, acids, salts, and chemicals
that can be absorbed by plants and water bodies, which can be
dangerous to people and other living things.
 Tephra can change rainfall or runoff relationships. Low permeability of
hardened ash deposits leads to increased runoff , accelerated erosion,
and floods; thick, coarse-grained deposits retain water and eliminate
surface runoff.
Precautions for Tephra Fall
Volcanic Debris Avalanche
What Are Volcanic Debris
Avalanches?
 Volcanic debris avalanches are landslides that occur in volcanic
slopes.
 Compared with non-volcanic landslides, debris avalanches are
faster and their deposits more far-reaching mainly due to the
large amount of material involved.
 Debris avalanche may involve collapse of the volcano‘s flank or
of one big sector of the volcano including that of its top.
 A debris avalanche deposit may not be entirely as hot as a lava
flow or pyroclastic flow but the abnormally large volumes of
volcanic material traveling at great speeds will bury areas far
and wide.
Recognizing a Debris Avalanche
The occurrence of debris
avalanche leaves a very
prominent gap in the cone
of the volcano as well as a
landscape-altering
voluminous deposit. The
gap is called amphitheater
because of the horseshoe-
like shape of the crater left
behind by the volcano‘s
collapse.
Triggering Mechanisms
of Volcanic Debris Avalanche

Some of the triggering mechanisms and conditions within a

volcano and its slopes that lead to a large volcanic debris
avalanche
How Deadly Can a Debris
Avalanche Be?
• Debris avalanches greatly alter the pre-existing topography by
creating deep horseshoe-shaped craters and by burying and
destroying everything in their paths.
• Debris avalanche deposits that are thick enough can block
streams to form lakes. Sudden break-out of the lake water could
generate lahars and floods.
• Lahars and floods can be a direct result of the dewatering of a
debris avalanche deposit.
• By removing a large part of a volcano’s cone, debris avalanches
can abruptly depressurize hot magma and the surrounding
hydrothermal systems. This may result in explosions ranging from
small steam explosions to large steam- and magma-driven
directed blasts.
Hints That People May Use
to Alert Themselves of a Possible
Occurrence of Debris Avalanche
• Sudden appearance of springs, seeps, or saturated ground
• New cracks and/or bulges in the ground, pavements or sidewalks
• Soil moving away from foundations
• Broken water lines and other underground utilities
• Tilting of telephone poles, trees, retaining walls, or fences
• Offset fence lines
• Down-dropped road beds
• Sudden rise or decrease in stream water levels that is not related to
rainfall
• A faint rumbling sound (frequency increases as landslide nears)
• Unusual sounds, such as trees cracking or boulders knocking together,
might indicate moving debris
• Volcanic activity or nearby seismicity
 Signs of an Impending
Volcanic Eruption
• Most Volcanoes provide various types
of warnings before eruptions begin
• People living near volcanoes may
defect premonitory events before an
eruption
• Measurement of Changes in Heat
Flows
• Detection and Interpretation of
Precursory Events
Precautionary Measures
Be aware of the dangers that volcanic eruptions pose to lives
and be prepared to face whatever circumstances the eruption
may bring

Prepare all necessary things to bring once evacuation is

needed. Those in danger zones are warned when to evacuate.
Once given the signal obey instructions. Refusing to evacuate
will pose more serious problems

Store as much food, water, light sources and batteries that

are very useful in case of emergency

Volcanic eruptions have ash fall so be prepared for masks or

anything to cover nose and mouth

Prioritize the safety of children and the elderly before other

things,. Take them to relatives who are from volcano and let them
stay there until volcanic emergency subsidies
Precautionary Measures
Avoid all low lying place because lava flow and
mudflow are more likely to pass here

Seek cover in case of pyroclastic flow and ballistic

projectiles

Use mask and cover mouth and nose to avoid

breathing in ashes

If inside house, close all door and window to avoid

ashes from getting inside. Stay indoor

If evacuated, stay in evacuation center until further

instruction. Do not attempt to leave the place unless
told to do
Precautionary Measures
Check house and place if already safe

Clean everything around and check all

damage incurred

Use mask while cleaning ash and other

debris

Wait for further announcement related to

the volcanic activities

Make sure that house Is till safe for the

whole family