Volcanoes, list/Mount Pelee

Mount Pelee is a cinder-cone volcano located in Martinique. Mount Pelee can be found at 14.8 latitude and -61.17 longitude.

Characteristics

The 1902 Mount Pelee eruption was explosive. Mount Pelee erupted pyroclastic material. The material was made up of very hot steam, gas, and some ash. There was ash in the gas that killed birds. There was a black cloud above the volcano and the town filled with gas and ashes.

The volcano is approximately 1400 metres high. The area of the volcano is about 100m².

1902 Eruption

Leading up to the eruption, there were small earthquakes, steam came out of the volcano, and ash fell upon the city. The day before the eruption there were smoke clouds at the top of the crater. Also, people could see lava coming out. The eruption happened on Saturday, May 8th, 1902. The volcano finally erupted at 7:50 a.m. On the day of the eruption, fire, ashes, and molten rock spewed in the air. There was violent shaking.

Effects

The lava and pyroclastic material destroyed the city in the matter of minutes. Only two out of the 30,000 people in the village survived the disaster. The cities that were near Mount Pelee were covered in ash.

The Latest Eruption

The last eruption was in 1929 and the volcano has been dormant ever since.

Bibliography

http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/martinique/locations/m/5.html

http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Pelee.html

http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/effects.pelee.php

http://www.mount-pelee.com/en/volcan/evolution-of-mount-pelee.html