 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Vesuvius volcano still 'very dangerous': geologist
Rome (AFP) Jan 28, 2009 Mount Vesuvius remains a threat to hundreds of thousands of people even though the volcano overlooking the southern Italian city of Naples has not erupted since 1944, a geologist warned Wednesday. "Vesuvius is a very dangerous volcano," Francesco Russo told a news conference in Rome. "According to some statistics, there is a 27 percent chance of an explosive eruption in the next 100 years." Russo, head of a Naples-area geologists association, said civil protection measures against a possible eruption were "inadequate." "Some 600,000 people live in the 'red zone,' meaning they would be directly threatened by this type of explosion," he said. "But we're not sure we would be able to evacuate them." Even with a week's warning, "it would be difficult," he said. "The authorities are not doing enough," Russo said. "Evacuation plans are not reliable, the plans for getting people to leave threatened areas are inadequate." He scorned an offer by regional authorities of 30,000 euros (40,000 dollars) for people to move out of danger zones. "Of course it didn't work. What kind of home can you buy for that price?" With so many people potentially at risk, Vesuvius is under close surveillance, with seismographs and a satellite ready to pick up its every move. The last explosive eruption was in 1631, claiming 4,000 lives, while the event in 1944 was more benign, producing lava flows but without spewing hot ash and gases. Nevertheless, 26 people died and 12,000 lost their homes. A repeat of the eruption that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD, Russo said, would threaten between two and five million people, but the likelihood of such an event is only around one percent. Vesuvius spewed ash over a 25-kilometre (12-mile) radius, blanketing Pompeii and other cities and towns as well as farmland in the region. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters When the Earth Quakes A world of storm and tempest
Off The Shelf Maps Help Mitigate Volcanic Hazards
University Park PA (SPX) Jan 26, 2009When volcanoes erupt, pinpointing the regions at high risk for lethal hazards and deciding whether or not to evacuate a resistant population comprise the most difficult problems faced by hazards managers. Now a team of volcanologists has a program that maps potential problem areas quickly, taking much of the guesswork out of decision making and evacuations. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook