Covering the volcanoes that struck Indonesia and Ecuador this week?

A researcher at Michigan Technological University has studied the Ecuadorean volcano, Tungurahua, as well as doing volcano research in Indonesia.

"The Sinabung volcano is especially tragic, as it sounds like people were given approval to go into the danger zone as activity had declined," says Simon Carn, associate professor of geological and mining engineering and sciences at Michigan Tech. β€œIt was active quite a while and deemed safe, when suddenly the lava dome collapsed.”

"A large lava dome keeps growing until it collapses," Carn explains. The result can be a pyroclastic flow like the one in Indonesia.”

The recent Ecuadoran volcano actually was a larger eruption, but unlike the Indonesian tragedy, the Ecuadoran volcano resulted in no fatalities so far.

In addition to his familiarity with Tungurahua, Carn did his PhD research in Indonesia and studied a volcano similar to Sinabung in Montserrat.

You can contact Simon Carn at:[email protected]; office: 906-487-1756; cell: 906-370-7288

MEDIA CONTACT
Register for reporter access to contact details