Why is has the number of human fatalities increased within the past 100 years when compared to fatalities within the past 300 years?

rocky Eric Wachtel

Hi Eric,

Well, I don't think that the number of volcano-related deaths actually has increased during the past 100 years. Russell Blong, in his book "Volcanic Hazards" lists eruptions since 1600 that have resulted in >8000 deaths, and of the 5 he lists, 4 were prior to 1895. His book was written prior to 1985 when the Nevado del Ruiz disaster took place, but it still works out that there were more deaths between 1700 and 1900 than there have been since 1900. 
Dr. Blong's table is interesting (if morbid):


volcano         year    #killed         how?

Laki (Iceland)  1783    9350            starvation

Unzen (Japan)   1792    14300           cone collapse, tsunami

Tambora (Indo.) 1815    92000           starvation

Krakatau (")    1883    36417           tsunami, pyroclastic flows, tephra
 
Mt Pelee        1902    29025           pyroclastic flows

Nevado del Ruiz 1985    ~23000          lahars
an appropriate table to be reading on Halloween...

Sincerely,

Scott Rowland 

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