Under the Volcano Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mt. Vesuvius

Though much less imposing in terms of height (1,281 m/4,203 ft) than Etna or other famous volcanoes, Vesuvius is one of the undisputed icons of volcanism. Its eruptions, characterized by explosive outbursts of varying intensity, have been dubbed "Plinian", after the famed Roman author Pliny the Younger, who wrote an account of the volcano's devastating 79 AD eruption--the one that obliterated the thriving Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and Stabiae. With its unmistakable "humpback" profile, Mount Vesuvius is located a few kilometers east of the city of Naples, the capital of Italy's southern region of Campania, not far from the shores of the scenic Gulf of Naples. Though it has not shown any activity since its most recent eruption, in March 1944, Vesuvius is constantly monitored because of the danger it poses, located as it is in an area inhabited by over three million people. In 1995, the area around the volcano was declared a National Park, one of the many attractions of the Naples metropolitan area.

Like Mt. Etna in Sicily, Vesuvius is one of the UN's "16 Decade Volcanoes". A volcano may be designated a Decade Volcano if it is near a populated area; if inhabitants may experience tephra fall, pyroclastic flows, lava flows, lava dome collapse, or other dangers; if it is physically accessible for study; and if the locals support the work.

Answer: Mt. Etna

Towering over the city of Catania at 10,912 feet (3326 m), Mount Etna is Italy's highest mountain south of the Alps. Not surprisingly, its peak is almost always covered in snow during the winter months, and it is possible to ski there. This very active volcano, whose almost constant activity has contributed to the fertility of the soil on its slopes and in the Plain of Catania, was believed in ancient times to be the forge of the Greek god Hephaestus (aptly called Vulcan by the Romans). Though its eruptions throughout the centuries have often proved destructive, compared to other volcanoes Mount Etna has caused very few human deaths.

However, it has been designated by the UN as one of the "16 Decade Volcanoes" for its history of destructive eruptions combined with its proximity to large populated areas.

In 2013, Etna was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Answer: Mt. Pinatubo

Called Bundok/Bulkang Pinatubo in Tagalog, Mount Pinatubo resides in the Zambales Mountains on the Philippine island of Luzon. On 15 June 1991, Pinatubo erupted in the second-largest volcanic explosion of the twentieth century and the largest eruption to affect a densely populated area. An ash cloud rose 22 miles (35 km) in the air. Avalanches of ash, gas, pyrocastic flows, and pumice lapilli (frothy pebbles) roared down the flanks and blanketed the countryside. So much material was ejected that the summit collapsed into a depression (caldera) 1.6 miles (2.5 km) across. The disaster was exacerbated by Typhoon Yunya, which rained deadly ash on inhabitants. Five years later, deposits from the pyrocastic flows were still measured at 900°F (500°C). Water from streams and underground springs that contacts these deposits explode and spread ash, and typhoons and monsoons continue to remobilize ash in giant mudflows.

A stratovolcano is a conical volcano built by multiple layers of hardened lava, pumic, and ash.

Answer: Anak Krakatoa

Also called Anak Krakatau, meaning "child of Krakatoa", Anak Krakatoa sits on an island in a caldera in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra. This new island emerged in 1927 after the infamous 1883 explosion that killed 36,000 people and destroyed the island of Krakatoa. On 22 December 2018, the volcano erupted with such force that the summit and indeed much of the island itself collapsed into the sea. This caused an undersea landslide that triggered a tsunami that devastated parts of Banten province in Java and Lampung province in Sumatra.

Indonesia lies in the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped area in the basin of the Pacific rimmed with heavy tectonic activity and volcanoes.

Answer: Eyjafjallajökull

After being dormant for 180 years, Eyjafjallajökull in south Iceland erupted on 20 March 2010. The glacier cap made it particularly explosive. After a brief rest, it resumed its eruption and caused massive flooding which required the evacuation of 800 inhabitants in the Thorsmork Glacier Valley.

This renewed eruption also threw volcanic ash several miles into the atmosphere, with a visible ash plume for miles. Air traffic in northwest Europe was disrupted for six days (April 15-21) and thousands of travelers were stranded.

Then the volcano erupted again in May and caused more airspace closures. Finally in August, volcanologists declared Eyjafjallajökull dormant.

Answer: Mauna Loa

Another member of the Decade Volcanoes, Mauna Loa is one of the five volcanoes located on the island of Hawai'i (also known as Big Island) in the U.S. state of Hawaii (note the spelling). With an elevation of 13,679 feet (4169 m), it is an impressive mountain, though not the island's highest. What makes Mauna Loa remarkable, however, are its mass and volume: covering an area of 2035 square miles (5271 sq km), and occuping more than half of the island's surface area - fully deserving its name of "Long Mountain". Mauna Loa has been active since it first emerged from the sea, about 400,000 years ago. Though its eruptions tend to be effusive rather than explosive, it is still closely monitored, because it caused destruction to inhabited centers in the past.

Answer: Mt. Kilauea

Located on the southern shore of the Big Island, Mt. Kilauea is the most active of the five volcanoes that comprise the island of Hawai'i (including Mauna Loa). Its name in the Hawaiian language means "spewing" or "much spreading". The high activity has produced acid rains and drifting sulfuric dioxide that have left a barren area called the Ka'u Desert. During 35 years of almost continuous eruption since 1983, Mt. Kilauea destroyed many towns, including Kalapana (1990) and Vacationland Hawaii (2018). Most of that eruption was the non-explosive sort that has been recorded since first contact with the Europeans in 1778. Prior to this, the geologic record reveals that explosive eruptions were more common, and should that resume, the volcano would become far more dangerous.

In 1790, during Mt. Kilauea's only explosive eruption since European contact, more than 400 people died in the deadliest volcanic eruption in what is now the USA.

Answer: Stromboli

The island of Stromboli is located north-east of Sicily, in the volcanic archipelago known as Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie). Most of the island's territory is taken over by the volcano of the same name, a cone standing at an elevation of 926 m (3038 ft) above sea level.

This impressive mountain, whose name comes from an ancient Greek word meaning "round" (a reference to its shape), has been in a state of constant eruption for the past 2000 years. It combines explosive and effusive phenomena, characterized by the ejection of lava bombs and other incandescent materials--what is known by vulcanologists as Strombolian eruption.

The volcano's nickname of "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean" stems from its constant activity, which is often visible from a considerable distance.

Answer: Mt. Erebus

British explorer James Clark Ross discovered Mt. Erebus in 1841 as it was erupting. It is one of the Volcanic Seven Summits and also the largest of four volcanoes that form the roughly triangular Ross Island in Antarctica. Mt. Erebus boasts a swirling lava lake of about 1700°F (927°C) that formed in 1972 and may reach many miles deep. From this lake are expelled Strombolian eruptions--mild, sporadic blasts with cinder, pumice lapilli (pebbles), and lava bombs (viscous fragments of lava dropped like bombs).

The volcano's last eruption of the 20th century began in 1972 and did not cease until 1992. Because of its low-level but persistent activity, it is a vulcanologists' dream volcano to study, especially the Strombolian eruptions.

Answer: Mount St. Helens

Called Loowit by the native Klickitat tribe, Mount St. Helens is located in the U.S. state of Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region, between the cities of Portland and Seattle. The major range to which this notorious volcano belongs, the Cascades, is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Considered the most active volcano in the range, St.

Helens has gone down in history for the huge eruption of 18 May 1980, which caused an almost 1300-foot (400-m) reduction of its elevation--from 9677 feet (2950 m) to 8363 feet (2549 m)--and left a distinctive, horseshoe-shaped crater.

The 1980 eruption was the deadliest volcanic event ever recorded on the continental United States, leading to the death of 57 people and extensive destruction. In 1983, the volcano and its surrounding area were declared a National Monument, and left to return gradually to a natural state.

The mountain remains a popular destination for hikers and climbers.