The Caribbean island of Montserrat had been paradise until July 1995. Then, a mountain, covered by a cloud forest, began to breathe fire. For a year, the volcano had been swelling, preparing itself to explode. Everyone remembers when it happened in 1996 and then in 1997. Explosions sent spectacular but deadly pyroclastic flows in all directions. In the shadow of an angry volcano, the paradise is no more. Most of the island villages, farms and roads disappeared under the thick blanket of volcanic rubble. The devastated Capital of Plymouth is the Pompeii of the 21st century. Thanks to evacuations, only a few people perished.
Helicopter stays in emergency position at the MVO.
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Incandescent Spectacle
As the sun goes down Soufriere Hills shows its beautiful but deadly fireworks. The top of the mountain glows through the clouds suggesting that the thick, molten magma is being extruded from the bowels of the earth. Incandescent avalanches roll down the flanks. |
Mountain of Fire
All hell come loose. A riot of red-hot boulders fall from the clouds. Bouncing on the hillside and crashing against each other, the boulders disintegrate with explosive display. Some rocks fly more than 100 metres through the air. |
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Pyroclastic Flow
A spectacular pyroclastic flow rushes down the White River Ghaut. |
Pyroclastic Flow
The pyroclastic flow clouds quickly grow into an enormous size, billowing vigorously as hundreds of tons of ash, debris, and incandescent rocks hurtle down the mountain.Pyroclastic flow rushes down the Tar River Valley. |
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Soufriere Hills
Ready to capture the spectacle. |
Raging Mountain
A tourist watches the pyroclastic flow running down to Tar River Valley from the safety of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. |
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Copyright: Paul Hloben
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