When did fire mountain erupet?

Question

When did fire mountain erupet?

Answer 1

(1)  The phrase "fire mountain" can refer to almost any active volcano which has erupted; however, inasmuch as an Indian name for ***Mt. St. Helens was "fire mountain," I shall begin with it.

During the morning of May 18, 1980, a strong earthquake shook Mt. St. Helens, located in the Cascades of the Northwest United States; and the whole north face of the mountain broke free and slid downward as a giant rock avalanche.  In seconds, as the rock slid off the mass of hot lava inside the mountain, pressure in the lava dropped, and water that had been dissolved in the lava turned into superheated steam, which formed bubbles that violently expanded and fragmented the lava into a fine powder ash. This mass of superheated steam and ash blasted upward and outward over the top of the avalanche, roaring to the north and west at speeds reaching hundreds of miles an hour.  The crown and heart of a whole mountain had been blasted away, and the surrounding countryside devastated.

Volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens declined significantly after the May 18 blast. Smaller explosive eruptions continued throughout the remainder of 1980, with a final one occurring in early 1982.

(2)  I should add ***Eldfell ("fire mountain" in Icelandic), a volcano on the island of Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago 15 miles (25 km) south of Iceland.

In January of 1973, an eruption began along a 1.5 mile (2 km) long fissure not far from the center of the town of Vestmannaeyjar. The fissure extended across the entire island, producing a spectacular curtain of fire. Nearly all of the island's 5,300 residents were evacuated to the mainland.

(3)  Finally, I should note ***Mount Merapi (i.e., "Mountain of Fire").  It is a conical volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.

In April 2006, increased seismicity activity and a detected bulge in the volcano's cone indicated that fresh eruptions were imminent. On April 19, 2006, smoke from the crater reached a height of 400 metres, compared to 75 metres the previous day. On April 23, 2006, nine surface tremors and some 156 multifaced quakes signalled movements of magma.

By early May of 2006, active lava flows had begun. On May 11, 2006 the lava flow became constant.  On May 27, 2006, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck roughly 30 miles southwest of Merapi.