Crowds of spectators gather to watch a volcano erupt in Iceland last spring.

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STANDARDS

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4, SL.6-8.1

NCSS: People, Places, and Environments • Science, Technology, and Society • Global Connections

GEOQUEST

Vacationing at a Volcano?

In a risky new travel trend, sightseers are going to extreme measures to get close-up views of exploding lava and searing clouds of ash.

When a volcano in southwest Iceland erupted for six months straight last year, more than 350,000 people went running—directly toward it. As Fagradals Mountain spewed rivers of lava, sightseers from around the world gathered to take selfies. Others roasted marshmallows and hot dogs over the flows of molten rock or simply sat on blankets to watch the red-hot spectacle unfold.

The vacationers were taking part in a new type of travel called volcano tourism. The trend has been fueled in part by social media and continues to grow with each traveler who posts a shot of an erupting natural wonder online.

Tour companies worldwide have begun cashing in on the phenomenon by offering thrill seekers more ways to explore volcanoes than ever before. Depending on the location, tourists can take helicopter rides over eruptions, hike to lava lakes, or even go volcano surfing—an extreme sport that involves sitting or standing on a thin metal board as you race down a volcano’s slopes.

But while seeing a volcano up close can be the adventure of a lifetime, scientists say it can also be dangerous—even deadly. 

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A packed tour boat comes dangerously close to an exploding volcano in Hawaii.

Forces of Nature

A volcano is an opening in Earth’s surface through which magma and gases can escape. Magma is incredibly hot liquid rock beneath the planet’s crust. Once it reaches the surface, it’s called lava.

There are more than 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide today. The majority of them are located on the Ring of Fire. That’s a horseshoe-shaped area along the edge of the Pacific Ocean where several tectonic plates meet (see map, below)

Tectonic plates are huge, slow-moving slabs of Earth’s crust that fit together like puzzle pieces. They are constantly shifting—about one half-inch to four inches every year. Volcanoes erupt when two plates collide or split apart, allowing magma to reach Earth’s surface. (Some volcanoes, however, lie far from plate boundaries. At those spots, magma pushes up directly through Earth’s crust.)

Risky Business

Regardless of where a volcano is located, scientists agree that traveling to an active one can be hazardous. Eruptions often produce poisonous gases that may damage people’s lungs. Sightseers can also get hit by lava or rock, as was the case in 2018 when a “lava bomb” crashed through a tour boat near an erupting volcano in Hawaii, injuring 23 people. And in 2019, 22 people died when a volcano suddenly erupted in New Zealand.

Safe Travels

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Tourists hike to the top of Italy’s Mount Vesuvius.

Despite the risks, visiting a volcano can be a rewarding experience—if travelers take the right precautions. For starters, people should assess the risk level for any volcano they plan to visit by checking with the local science observatory that monitors that particular site. Tourists should also learn the evacuation routes in case of an emergency.

Taking such steps, experts say, can help people have a safe volcano vacation. And no one understands the lure of visiting volcanoes better than the scientists who study them. 

As Frank Trusdell, a geologist in Hawaii, recently told reporters: “Every time you go somewhere that you see a geological process . . . it gives you a much greater respect for our planet.” 

Check out Map Skills Boot Camp for more geography practice.

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