Can a volcano be set to erupt, saving lives in a planned eruption?

Question

Can a volcano be set to erupt, saving lives in a planned eruption?

Answer 1

Short answer? No. We're light years away from any technology that could control something as powerful as a volcano.

Answer 2

How would that save lives? Are you assuming we would evacuate everybody within a hundred miles, blow the volcano and let them move back?  Their houses and cities would be destroyed.  If we could get everybody to move a hundred miles from the nearest volcano, we wouldn't need to force an eruption.  We could just let it happen naturally.  Hmm.  Maybe that's a better idea.

Answer 3

Sure, If you drilled into the magma chamber it could upset the volcano and trigger an eruption. A Japanese scientific drilling program was halted when they reached temperatures of greater than 500 degrees C at an unexpectedly shallow depth. The scientists fears continued drilling could potentially trigger an eruption.

Answer 4

it would be near impossible. the explosion of a volcano is like of an a-bomb. also, its hard for scientists to exactly know how big the explosion would be, and how much would come out. also, many poisions gases come out of volcanos, so there is no way to make it safe.