'When Sleeping Volcanoes Wake'

'When Sleeping Volcanoes Wake'

Volcanoes are often imagined through icons like Yellowstone or Vesuvius, yet the real danger may lie in places that appear deceptively quiet. In 1982, the little-known El Chichón volcano in southern Mexico erupted after centuries of dormancy, killing thousands and displacing tens of thousands more. But the impact didn't stop there, it's climatic effects would be felt on the other side of the world, which had a role in the triggering of the infamous 1983-85 Ethiopian famine.

It's not as rare as you might think - around 75% of eruptions with an explosivity of VEI 5 (like El Chichón) were preceded by at least a century of silence. That percentage is even higher – 90 per cent – for volcanoes ranked VEI 6, which are 10 times more powerful. And in volcanic regions like the Pacific islands, South America and Indonesia, we can expect explosivity every seven to 10 years from a volcano with no previously recorded eruption.

In the essay, Mike Cassidy discusses how our understanding of volcanoes has evolved—from gods and myths, to plate tectonics, to their role in global climate shocks. He argues that, despite scientific progress, volcanology remains chronically underfunded and unevenly distributed.