• Question: HAve you ever witness a volcanic eruption and been there?

    Asked by 09abatson to James V, Davie, Gemma, James P, Nuala on 22 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by jellytotayers, lena, bobob, moorl001.
    • Photo: James Verdon

      James Verdon answered on 22 Jun 2012:

      Hi 09abatson,
      I’ve never seen an actual eruption. On the one hand, I’d love to, but they can be pretty dangerous – volcanologists have been killed when the volcanoes they were studying have erupted.

      I have been to volcanoes that are experiencing lots of hydrothermal activity – so geysers, bubbling pools of boiling mud, and jets of sulphur-rich gases, but never an actual eruption. The best places to go would be the few volcanoes that have permanent lava lakes. Erta Ale in Ethiopia is the best example – it has constant pools of molten lava bubbling away at the surface. Hawaii would also be a good place to go, because the eruptions are usually more gentle and effusive, so it’s safer.

    • Photo: James Pope

      James Pope answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      Hi 09abatson, jellytotayers, lena, morrl001 and bobob

      I like James V have never seen a volcanic eruption, but I would quite like to see a safe one! I have been to Iceland and seen some of the geysers there and also swum in the hydrothermal pools of Iceland where the water has been heated by the volcanic activity around the island.

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