Active Volcanoes Under Close Watch Around the World

The eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull set geologists on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions.
Active Volcanoes Under Close Watch Around the World
Lava cascades from the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines southeast of Manila on December 23, 2009. Geologists are on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions throughout the world. (Ted Aljibe/Getty Images)
Kristina Skorbach
4/28/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/95420893.jpg" alt="Lava cascades from the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines southeast of Manila on December 23, 2009. Geologists are on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions throughout the world. (Ted Aljibe/Getty Images)" title="Lava cascades from the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines southeast of Manila on December 23, 2009. Geologists are on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions throughout the world. (Ted Aljibe/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1820524"/></a>
Lava cascades from the slopes of Mayon volcano in the Philippines southeast of Manila on December 23, 2009. Geologists are on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions throughout the world. (Ted Aljibe/Getty Images)
The eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull set geologists on frantic runs to monitor possible volcano eruptions. Next on their radar is volcano Vesuvius located in the Bay of Naples, Italy.

Italian volcanologists are keeping track of two active sites after Guido Bertolaso, the president of Italy’s Civil Protection Department, announced that there is a possibility that the island of Ischia, a close neighbor of Vesuvius, will erupt very soon.

An estimated 650,000 people inhabit the slopes of Vesuvius and are at high risk. Due to the potentially detrimental effects of the island’s volcanos, the Italian minister called for a reevaluation of the emergency response team in the region around the two volcanoes. Up to 1 million people may need to be evacuated.

Katla, another volcano in Iceland is also under surveillance, according to recent speculations that Eyjafjallajökull might have upset Katla’s 92-year-long sleep.The reason for the prediction is historical evidence that the previous three times Eyjafjallajökull erupted, Katla followed.

“As bad as Eyjafjallajökull is, Katla could be much, much worse,” said Jay Miller, manager of Technical & Analytical Services at the A&M University in Texas, according to the Texas A&M University website.

Other volcanoes that are also getting special attention now include Mauna Loa, Hawaii; Sakurajima and Mount Hokodate-yama both in Japan; St. Helens, Washington; and Popocatepelt, Mexico. Most of these volcanoes are among the most active in the world, so geologists have been watching them since their formation.

According to AFP, Bertolaso said, “Unfortunately, no one in the world can predict when a volcano will wake up … or predict an earthquake. There’s a week or 10 days from the first signs until the moment it’s too late.”