how do pyroclastic surges damage buildings?
P J Baxter, R Boyle, P Cole, A Neri, R Spence and G Zuccaro, The impact of pyroclastic surges on buildings at the eruption of the Soufrire Hills volcano, Montserrat. Bulletin of Volcanology (2005) 67:292-313. Montserrat residents are some of the last people in the world to need reminding of the types of damage that pyroclastic flows and surges can do to buildings, having seen so much at close quarters in recent years. Nevertheless, explosive volcanoes like the Soufrire Hills (SHV) continue to erupt at regular intervals around the world and therefore scientists have studied many aspects of the Montserrat eruption with an eye to learning things from it that can be applied to future volcanic crises elsewhere. Obviously such research may also be useful on Montserrat, if the eruption continues and moves into new patterns of behaviour. One obvious point needs to be made at the beginning; the damage to buildings discussed here is inflicted by pyroclastic surges or dilute pyroclastic density c
