To what extent is it possible to manage the hazards related to volcanoes?

Question

Explain your answer.

Answer 1

It's possible to a big extent, according to the level of knowledge geologists have of the specific volcano.

This means: some volcanoes have an habit to explode in such dangerous way that can destroy a nearer place in few minutes. But there are others with "a eruptive history" characterized by slow lava flows, giving people more time to leave safely.

The geologists can "read" this volcano's style on the old nearer rocks, identify the kind of hazard and advice the neighborhood to be prepared.

The real problem of this issue is the behavior of inhabitants, that don´t want to leave their homes and usually wait until is too late.

Answer 2

Well, it depends on what type of volcano and any other geological hazards that may be associated with it. For instance, Iceland has a number of volcanoes, but they are of the shield variety. They tend to have low explosive eruptions, characterized by flowing lava and minor earthquakes. They have had some limited success with channeling lava flows away from habitated areas. In the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, these volcanoes tend to be stratovolcanos. These tend to erupt with high explosive eruptions, leading to pyroclastic flows. With an eruption like this, there's really nothing you can do besides not be their when it erupts. These volcanoes are also associated with possibly strong earthquakes and depending on your proximity to the coast, the threat of tsunamis. In a situation like this, your best bet to mitigate the hazards are with strong building codes for the earthquakes, monitoring of the volcano, and an early warning system for the tsunami threat. Of course if you want to know about Yellowstone.... well, when it erupts again, it will basically render about 2/3rds of the US uninhabitable for years.

Answer 3

Yer best bet is to build rises around which the lava flows, earthen rises and such, just building a stone wall wouldn't work because the lava flow would just melt it, and a steel wall would be way too expensive and might just be carried away, earthen rise is part of the earth and has a huge backing behind it, too much to be carried away or melted.

Like a manmade plateau.

Answer 4

To the extent you are able to flee when they happen