3 days ago
Visiting an Active Volcano? What to Know Before You Go
In a spectacular show of nature's strength, Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano, erupted on June 2, cloaking Sicily in a plume of ash and gas.
And while the latest eruption didn't prompt evacuations or airport closures, it did send a group of hikers running down the mountain's flank: videos show tourists fleeing as ashy clouds spiraled several miles into the sky.
Despite Etna's near-constant activity, hundreds of thousands of people trek to the top of the mountain annually. It's one of several active volcanoes worldwide, including Iceland's Fagradalsfjall, New Zealand's Tongariro, and Nicaragua's Concepción, that sit at the glowing but turbulent heart of volcano tourism. At many of these destinations, potentially life-threatening eruptions don't scare off the tourists—often, they attract them.
Jessica Ferracane, a public affairs specialist at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, says the park—which is home to two volcanoes that have erupted in the last three years (one of which, Kīlauea, is on the brink of another eruption)—sees an influx of travelers during and after volcanic events. 'When the volcano erupts, so does visitation,' Ferracane tells Condé Nast Traveler.
The appeal of volcano tourism doesn't surprise Arianna Soldati, an assistant professor of volcanology at North Carolina State University. 'They are an amazing display of the planet's activity,' she says. 'Whereas most geological phenomena are extremely slow (think of mountain building or glacier erosion), an eruption can redefine the landscape in a matter of hours.'
While the exact timing of an eruption can be difficult to predict, it's rare for travelers to be caught completely off guard by volcanic activity, thanks to increasingly advanced scientific forecasts. In Sicily, the Civil Protection Department and the Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology provide the public with updates on Mount Etna's eruption status using a color-coded system.
Despite early warnings about increased volcanic activity, many hikers ventured toward the summit of Etna on the day of its eruption. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, and all hikers made it safely down the mountain. By June 3, authorities had downgraded the alert level to yellow, indicating slightly elevated volcanic activity. Tourist activities, including hiking, resumed with safety measures in place.
The potential dangers of volcanic sites aren't limited to the eruptions themselves, Soldati says. 'Some of the risks may be invisible, like toxic gases,' she tells Traveler, adding that almost all risks are present further away than people might expect, often several miles from the source.
As such, there are a slew of safety precautions to consider before visiting an active volcano. Below, experts offer their top volcano safety tips.
Some volcanic hikes can be done independently, while others require a certified guide. At Mount Etna, pictured above, a guide is required above 8202 feet.
PlanetDo: Understand the risks
One of the most important things to remember about volcano tourism is that eruptions are dangerous—no matter how enticing they look from a distance. And even if volcanoes aren't actively erupting, they can still pose risks.
