Two months ago our friend Humphfrey Reader had a dream…
My brain’s virtual volcanic eruption (16/8/2008)!
On the morning of August 16th 2008 I had a most vivid dream. I had arrived at Etna in rather a hurry. On getting to what I suppose would be the Rifugio Sapienza area I decided to be bold and go straight to the top – the scene of the action. I found I’d come out so quickly I’d forgotten to take any euros! However I somehow persuaded the transport to take me up. On the way up I noticed a lot of commercialisation, even arcade palaces! Anyway I arrived at the top. Ahead and a bit to the right was an active vent (probably the new one on the flank of the S E Crater). Both I and those with me thought we were at a safe distance: indeed I toyed with the idea of getting in closer. Then the vent exploded and I realised to my consternation that the pyroclasts were not only close but falling all around me! Smaller glowing bits landed on my anorak, and several large (0.5-1m size) clasts (oddly spherical in shape) fell very close. I retreated into a rough shelter (old TDF building?) and heard the volcanic bombs clanging and clattering down on the roof. Then I went back down, reflecting en route how unrealistic, indeed dangerous, a closer approach to this vent would have been. I had a distinct feeling of the contrast between idle fantasy from watching on film (i.e. the unrealistic confidence that I could get in really close) with the extreme danger in reality – that in reality this was out of the question.
Later I saw a pyroclastic flow approach. I realised I could do nothing about it so (as recommended in real life) I lay face down holding my breath whilst it passed over. It felt hot but didn’t scorch (in real life I’d probably have been killed).
These are the key events. The overwhelming feeling was that of actually being there, and that all this was happening. It did not feel like a dream at all: it felt very, very real – sufficiently real for me to regard it as a sort of dress-rehearsal for real events! A salutary warning that volcanoes cannot be controlled, indeed that thought passed through my mind during the dream. Another consideration: I felt myself to be at a very safe distance from the erupting vent, but the eruption was suddenly more powerful than expected and annihilated the distance! Another thing that was very convincing was the sheer size of the summit cones – we felt totally dwarfed by them (again as in real life).
All in all, this dream was a somewhat sobering experience! A reminder that things really can go wrong around volcanoes! This dream brought this home to me in a way no mere video/DVD could (even that John Seach one where he makes a quick exit). When I’ve witnessed activity I’ve tended to assume I’m immune – a bit over-confident. Maybe this dream was a necessary corrective.
Also interesting was the fact that whilst the whole episode was very alarming it was still preferable (in the sense of more exciting?) to other things I do.
As a matter of fact, small pyroclastic flows do occur on Etna, and it seems this happens more often than has been thought until now. I did see such flows at uncomfortably close range twice, in October 1999 at the Bocca Nuova, and in November 2006 at the Southeast Crater. At least 8 cases are documented for the interval 1986-2007. Luckily no one happened to be in the path of these very small flows, and I believe that they would have been deadly. I have written a series of papers on these events, the most recent (which is some sort of a review) is on-line at the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2008.09.021
Indeed, all of us who witnessed these events have had nightmares for a while… and reflected a lot about safety issues during work on the volcano.
As a matter of fact, small pyroclastic flows do occur on Etna, and it seems this happens more often than has been thought until now. I did see such flows at uncomfortably close range twice, in October 1999 at the Bocca Nuova, and in November 2006 at the Southeast Crater. At least 8 cases are documented for the interval 1986-2007. Luckily no one happened to be in the path of these very small flows, and I believe that they would have been deadly. I have written a series of papers on these events, the most recent (which is some sort of a review) is on-line at the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2008.09.021
Indeed, all of us who witnessed these events have had nightmares for a while… and reflected a lot about safety issues during work on the volcano.
Some time ago Tom Pfeiffer realized “Safety on Volcanoes” document.
I was unable to find it again on internet but luckly we have our copy in hotel and we translated it in italian.
I will publish it in few weeks, just time my webmaster allows me to put Word documents on this site (function not yet implemented, incredible, uh?)
Davide Corsaro
P.s. Thanks Boris! Always happy to read you!