Soufrière (St. Vincent)
Soufrière | ||
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The Soufrière on St. Vincent in November 2005. |
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height | 1220 m | |
location | St. Vincent | |
Coordinates | 13 ° 20 '20 " N , 61 ° 10' 43" W | |
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Type | Stratovolcano , active | |
Last eruption | April 2021 |
The Soufrière is an active stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent in the West Indies and Lesser Antilles . It towers over the northern part of the island with a summit height of 1220 m and is the highest mountain in St. Vincent and the Grenadines .
early outbreaks
The first historically documented eruption occurred in 1718, another followed in 1812. On May 7, 1902, 1,680 people died in an eruption. This eruption was followed by a devastating eruption of the Montagne Pelée volcano on the neighboring island of Martinique .
Eruption 1979
The penultimate eruption, accompanied by large pyroclastic currents and huge clouds of ash , occurred in April 1979. More than 17,000 people had to be evacuated from the northern part of the island to safe areas. In the following decades, a lava dome was built that made a crater lake smaller.
Outbreak 2020/2021
The most recent effusive activity began in late 2020 and resulted in the evacuation of areas where people may be at risk in April 2021. On April 9, 2021, the volcano ejected a column of eruptions . One day later, 16,000 people were brought out of the danger zone to safety; a cruise ship with around 250 rescued people reached St. Lucia . A shower of ash hindered the evacuation. St. Vincent International Airport has been closed.
Web links
- Soufriere (St. Vincent) in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Volcanic eruption on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent , ZDF, April 9, 2021.