Volcanoes: An Amazing Force Of Nature

Travel Article

We think we're so wise, so all-powerful, but we really look meek in comparison with the forces of nature. Vulcanism is a process that constantly shapes and reshapes the earth, and humanity is often at its mercy.

In the early 1970s, I was lying on a beach on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia. The day was beautiful, with a cloudless sky and sparkling tropical waters. Suddenly, almost like something from a science fiction movie, a cloud rose up seemingly out of the ocean and exploded into the sky. Simultaneously, I started seeing lightning bolts through the cloud. When I returned to the hotel, I was told that a volcano on the neighbouring island of St Vincent had erupted. This was my first experience of any kind with a volcano.

In 2012, we had encounters with several volcanoes, firstly, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Amazing Kilauea

We headed to Kilauea in Hawaii, undoubtedly the most active volcano in the world. The sights around Kilauea are unlike anything we had seen before. How often do you get to go to the edge of a volcanic crater? How often do you get to walk inside a volcanic crater?

Kilauea is the island's heart and is steeped in the mythology of the ancient Hawaiians. They believed that the goddess Pele resided deep in the earth and gave forth the breath of life, which we see in the form of steam vents and eruptions.

While we were there, the volcano was quiet, with no significant spewing of lava. Thank goodness because, at 2400 degrees, we would be incinerated.

We took a 4-mile (7 km) hike into the caldera and walked across the crater's base to the other side and out. It was surreal, and we imagined what it would be like on the moon. While walking inside the crater, we thought about how puny humans are compared to nature. It was exciting seeing the reddish glow from the molten lava in the bowels of the earth. 

During its eruptions, Kilauea has spewed vast amounts of lava down its mountainside, which has wiped out vegetation. You can see the lava field descending from the mountain to the sea. Amazingly, the plants have started reclaiming the area after a period. Being on the Big Island, you soon realize that the whole island is one giant volcano consisting of Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and others. 

Mt St Helens

When we were in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., we wanted to visit the place where a momentous event took place in 1980––the explosive eruption of Mt St. Helens. 

It was in May 1980 that the north face of the volcano collapsed and slid down the slopes, giving way to a colossal eruption that destroyed a few hundred square miles of forest. We remembered that the ash cloud rose several miles into the stratosphere, all this happening in just one day.

The closest we could reach the mountain was the Johnston Visitor Centre, about 5 miles away. We could make out the crater left by the event, although part of it was obscured by some cloud.

We also saw a movie about the eruption; the figures were staggering. It was the largest eruption in recorded U.S. history. The landslide that resulted from part of the mountain collapse was the biggest in recorded history. It flattened trees for over 200 square miles and filled lakes and rivers with vast volumes of sediment. It spewed ash 17 kilometres into the atmosphere, which travelled worldwide. The pyroclastic flow, which followed the slide, raced down the mountain at over 500 miles an hour and overtook the debris of rock and lava. If you had been 10 miles away, it would have reached you in just over a minute!

We saw a lot of trees that had been planted, and they, along with the natural growth of trees, were restoring the forest over time. We also saw many tree trunks still in the direction of the initial explosion and flows.

Appreciating this event humbles you to the power of nature. Despite how powerful we believe ourselves to be, we pale in comparison. We must remember this was just one volcano amongst the few thousand on the planet.

Mt Vesuvius

On the European portion of our trip, we visited the archaeological sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum on the outskirts of Naples. They are a historical record of Mt Vesuvius' eruption in 79 A.D., which makes for an exciting visit. From there, we took a bus to the 3000-foot level of Mt Vesuvius. Then, it was a short hike on a path that took us as far as we could to the edge of the newest crater. 

Vesuvius is still an active volcano with many eruptions over the centuries but is currently asleep. Its last eruption was in 1944. Looking down from above, we had great views of Naples and the Bay of Naples through the haze, with the suburbs of Naples right up against the base of the volcano. It seems crazy, in light of the many eruptions of Vesuvius, that so many people live so close to it. One million people are under direct threat if another eruption occurs.

Cotopaxi

The Cotopaxi volcano is 60 kilometres from Quito, Ecuador, which means "neck of the moon" in the ancient Incan language. The mountain is stunning because it is almost a perfectly shaped cone.

Cotopaxi has erupted over the years, sometimes spreading volcanic ash on Quito below.

We hired a guide to pick us up from our hotel and take us to the mountain. Cotopaxi is very high, with the summit at just over 20,000 feet. We drove up to a parking area just over the 15,000-foot level. From there, the idea was to hike to a refuge 16,500 feet high. You would think it's no big deal, right? Wrong, two issues: At 15,000 feet, there is 40% less oxygen than there is at sea level, and secondly, the path was gravel, which made it extra challenging to climb.

Anyway, we started our climb. I found myself gasping for air, and about halfway up to the refuge, I thought another step and I would pass out. The guide urged me to rest, so I pushed on and made it to the refuge. It took us an hour and a half to climb that 1000 feet, but we felt a sense of achievement, and the views were spectacular.

Some people, including our guide, climb up to the summit, where there is an active crater. We saw all these younger ones heading higher up from the refuge. We will leave that for another lifetime.