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When Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it was the largest
eruption of the 20th century, spewing ash lava and debris
as far away as Vietnam. For two years an ash cloud lowered
worldwide temperature a full C degree as it floated in the
upper atmosphere.
Land of catastrophe
Though it was a spectacular eruption to the West, the Philippines
is not a stranger to natural disaster; in fact it was recently
named 'the most disaster prone country on earth.' Situated
precariously on the Ring Of Fire, the Pacific hugging belt
of earthquakes and volcanic activity slips right under the
Philippines and has created the country's natural beauty and
has been the cause of death and destruction for centuries.
Though it shares the same shaky fate as California, Japan,
Indonesia and New Zealand, the Philippines has somehow always
been at the receiving end of the worst of mother nature's
fury. Volcanoes dot the islands (namely Luzon) and Pinatubo
and Mayon are among the most famous. Some are dormant
('sleeping') or extinct (dead and no longer dangerous) but
most are actively shaking and spewing lava every decade or
so.
Goddess awakes
Pinatubo itself was considered extinct, but it roared to
life destroying prime farmland, and killing civilians just
a few hours drive from Manila. To show how disaster prone
the country really is, the eruption coincided with a terrible
typhoon that caused even more damage as ash and debrish rushed
down the mountainside. When the eruption was over, Manila
was covered in ash, and the international airport was letting
one stranded plane take off every thirty minutes as the ash
damages the moving parts of engines.
What remained of the volcano (3000 ft of the top were obliterated)
has not begun to re-grow as a new cone pushes up through the
shattered mountain, and no one is sure if the mountain will
erupt again. The lahar, or mixture of ash and dirt created
by the eruption, has begun to erode and has carved fantastic
valleys in which rivers now flow. It's terribly dangerous
to walk in these valleys as flash floods are common. Someday
you may be able to hike this mountain more safely but until
then, it's off limits.
Don't be surprised if the earth moves under your feet while
in the Philippines, because the Ring Of Fire is always full
of surprises. |
