Volcanologist Dr. Thomas Christopher leader of the team that is currently monitoring the activity at La Soufriere, while speaking on radio earlier this week, discussed the main hazard of an effusive volcanic eruption.
“One of the main hazards would be the gas, but then sometimes when there is an effusive eruption ash can be generated, and ash as we know is pulverized rock, it’s rock powder, it’s not really something that’s good to be breathing in.
So for people that live downwind of the volcano, as people have noticed there is a prominent browning of the vegetation- that’s from the gas. If there were to be ash generated, the ash would go in that area as well, luckily there is not a large population living in that area, there is no town, there are no villages. So the exposure to the population would be less. But the individuals who are exposed to the gas and the ash, it’s not good for them because it wrecks their lungs.” Dr. Christopher said.
