If you have been regularly following our blog for this (almost) past year, you may have noticed that the field of natural hazards is coloured by many different shades. One more that I would like to present to you today is about how the natural environment can affect human health. It is a recognized fact that geo-materials can pose a threat to our health. One of the most striking examples is asbest ...[Read More]
Volcanic eruptions: Sometimes natural spectacles, but other times disasters
In April 2018, an eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii started. The activity continued for months, with impressive lava flows that cut roads and even covered houses and entire neighbourhoods (Figure 1), forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Fortunately, it did not take any life. Some weeks later, on June 3rd, Fuego volcano, in Guatemala, shocked the international community with a sh ...[Read More]
Volcanic tourism, in between fascination and hazard awareness. Episode 1: the volcanologist prospective.
Volcanoes are often located in stunning and fascinating places of the world. Some volcanoes are in areas already heavily populated, like Popocatépetl in Mexico or that thanks to tourism become highly or more populated during certain times of the year, like Agung in Indonesia. In addition to the charm, volcanoes can be and have been harmful to both lives and properties. The hazards posed by ...[Read More]
Steaming badly: what do we know about hazardous and less known hydrothermal eruptions in volcanic environments?
Volcanic eruptions are among the fascinating natural phenomena we can observe on Earth. Along with being very attractive, they are hazardous for both society and infrastructures. Eruptive styles are various and today we focus our attention on one particular type of explosive event: hydrothermal eruptions. We have interviewed Cristian Montanaro on the topic.