REMEMBERING THE

HISTORIC ERUPTION OF
MOUNT PINATUBO, THE
PHILIPPINES
JUNE 12, 1991
THE SECOND LARGEST ERUPTION OF
THE 20TH CENTURY
Walter Hays, Global Alliance for
Disaster Reduction, University of
North Carolina, USA
MOUNT PINATUBO: QUIET FOR 450-
500 YEARS BEFORE ERUPTING
 VOLCANO HAZARDS
(AKA POTENTIAL DISASTER AGENTS)

• VERTICAL PLUME
• LAVA FLOWS
• LATERAL BLASTS
• LAHARS
• EARTHQUAKES (related to
movement of lava)
 NATURAL HAZARDS FOR WHICH
EVACUATION IS TYPICAL

FLOODS
GOAL: MOVE PEOPLE OUT
OF HARM’S WAY HURRICANES

HIGH BENEFIT/COST FOR TYPHOONS

SAVING LIVES, BUT LOW
BEMEFIT/COST FOR TSUNAMIS
PROTECTING PROPERTY
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

WILDFIRES
 SOURCE OF
PHOTOGRAPHS
USGS
US AIR FORCE
PHILVOS
 MOUNT PINATUBO’S FIRST
PRECURSORS OF THE ERUPTION
PHILVOS: MONITORING GROUND
SWELLING (ANOTHER PRECURSOR)
 MOUNT PINATUBO: VERTICAL
PLUME REACHES 19 KM: JUNE 12
LOURDES DESTROYED BY LAHARS WITHIN
HOURS AFTER THE ERUPTION
MOUNT PINATUBO BLOWS ITS TOP:
JUNE 15, 1991
 THE JUNE 15TH CALDERA COLLAPSE
LOWERED PINATUBO’S ELEVATION 1,000 FT
LATERAL BLAST: 5:55 AM, JUNE 15
CARS COVERED WITH VOLCANIC ASH:
JUNE 16
DC-10 AT CLARK AIR FORCE BASE
COVERED WITH ASH: JUNE 17
CLARK AIR FORCE COVERED WITH
ASH: JUNE 24
RIVER WIDENED BY LOCAL FLOODING
AND LAHARS
 The eruption ejected
roughly 10 billion metric
tons (10 cubic km) of
magma, and 20 million tons
of sulfur dioxide.
 The eruption injected large
amounts of aerosols into
the stratosphere – more
than any eruption since that
of krakatoa in 1883.
 Lahars that occurred
immediately after the
eruption, and rejuvenated
during subsequent rainy
seasons, have destroyed
over 100,000 homes.
Global temperatures
dropped by about 0.5
degree C.