How many people are affected by volcanic eruptions?
Scientists have estimated that at least 200,000 persons have lost their lives as a result of volcanic eruptions during the last 500 years. Between 1980 and 1990, volcanic activity killed at least 26,000 people and forced nearly 450,000 to flee from their homes. — From: Tilling, 1980, Volcanoes: Earthquake Information Bulletin, v.12, n.4, and Brantley, 1994, Volcanoes of the United States: USGS General Interest Publication. What are some positive products from volcanoes? The Earth’s crust, on which we live and depend, is in large part the product of millions of once-active volcanoes and tremendous volumes of magma that did not erupt but instead cooled below the surface. Such persistent and widespread volcanism has resulted in many valuable natural resources throughout the world. For example, volcanic ash blows over thousands of square kilometers of land increases soil fertility for forests and agriculture by adding nutrients and acting as a mulch. Groundwater heated by large, still-hot
