Volcano- Related Hazards

A. Lahar is a Javanese term (Java is an island in Indonesia) that describes a hot or cold mixture of water
and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley.

B. Ash Fall
\Volcanic ash consists of tiny jagged particles of rock and natural glass blasted into the air by a volcano.
Ash can threaten the health of people and livestock, pose a hazard to flying jet aircraft, damage electronics
and machinery, and interrupt power generation and telecommunications. Wind can carry ash thousands of
miles, affecting far greater areas and many more people than other volcano hazards. Even after a series of
ash-producing eruptions has ended, wind and human activity can stir up fallen ash for months or years,
presenting a long-term health and economic hazard.
C. Pyroclastic Flow
Pyroclastic flows contain a high-density mix of hot lava blocks, pumice, ashes and volcanic gases. They
move at very high speed down volcanic slopes, typically following valleys. Most pyroclastic flows consist of
two parts: a lower (basal) flow of coarse fragments that moves along the ground, and a turbulent cloud of
ash that rises above the basal flow. Ash may fall from this cloud over a wide area downwind from the
pyroclastic flow.

D. Ballistic Projectile
Ballistic projectiles are rocks that an erupting volcano may hurl into the air. These blocks and bombs travel
like cannonballs and usually land within 2km of the vent (but can travel as far as 5km, or even further, if the
eruption is very explosive.
E. Volcanic Gases
Magma contains dissolved gases, which provide the driving force that causes most volcanic eruptions. As
magma rises towards the surface and pressure decreases, gases are released from the liquid portion of the
magma (melt) and continue to travel upward and are eventually released into the atmosphere.

F. Lava Flow
Lava flows are streams of molten rock that pour or ooze from an erupting vent. Lava is erupted during
either non explosive activity or explosive lava fountains. The speed at which lava moves across the ground
depends on several factors, including (1) type of lava erupted and its viscosity; (2) steepness of the ground
over which it travels; (3) whether the lava flows as a broad sheet, through a confined channel, or down a
lava tube; and (4) rate of lava production at the vent. Therefore, the thicker the lava is, the slower the flow,
the steeper the slope is, the faster the flow.