Volcano Assignment

Volcano: Mount Yasur

The volcano I chose for this assignment is Mount Yasur, a stratovolcano that is located

on Tanna Island, Vannatu. The archipelago was partly responsible for the formation of the island

chain and is currently 1,750 kilometers east of northern Australia. Mount Yasur stands 361

meters above sea level, and its nearly circular summit crater, completely free of vegetation, is

400 meters in diameter.

Mount Yasur is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, having been erupting several

times per hour for the last 800 years. These eruptions are largely Strombolian or Vulcanian in

nature, with a large lava plain slowly creeping along the plains surrounding the pyroclastic cone.

The government of Vannatu have begun monitoring the volcanic activity in response to an

increased tourist attraction. These levels range from 0 to 5 in terms of intensity, from normal

intensity to a “Very Large Eruption” and warns the public that activity of any level can occur at

any time. The glow of its ejected cinders and the constant puffing of ash clouds are easily visible

from far away, and its eruptions were allegedly what drew the explorer Captain Cook to the

archipelago in 1774. Because of this, Mount Yasur has been given the moniker “The Lighthouse

of the Pacific”.