When it Comes to Volcanic Hazards, It is all About Location

This week a lot of the volcanic focus has been on Mexico's Popocatepétl and its rumbling - and rightly so. When it comes to volcanic hazards, many times it is all about location, location, location. Popocatepétl is situated within 70 km of a major metropolitan center with a population of over 20 million, so even small-to-moderate eruptions can have wide-ranging effects. The same can be said for why we hear about fairly small eruptions in Indonesia and Japan, where their island location and high population density means humans and volcanoes are in direct contact. This juxtaposition of people and volcanoes is also why it seems like there is more volcanic activity now than 200 years ago - there are more people, more places to see it happen and feel the effects! Combine that with remote sensing and instant communication and suddenly an eruption that would have been unnoticed in 1875 ...