New Zealand eruption: After White Island tragedy, how safe is volcano tourism?

Tragedy has struck visitors to White Island in New Zealand. At least five people are dead and others unaccounted for, after the island’s volcano erupted.

Rescuers are unable to access the island because of the eruption.

White Island, also called Whakaari, is one of the leading attractions for visitors to New Zealand – where seismic tourism is very popular.

Getting close to volcanoes offers a rare opportunity to experience the power of the restless earth: the smouldering, seething release of pressure from the brittle crust of earth caused by the crush of tectonic plates. Many volcanoes are, naturally, located in a spectacular landscape created by past eruptions.

But with the reward come a range of risks. They can include sulphur dioxide and other toxic volcanic gases, material from the volcano being thrown out, lava flows and possible resulting wildfires, landslides and, for coastal locations, tsunamis.

These are some of the world’s leading volcanic attractions, and the dangers involved.

Italy

Europe’s most seismically active country has a range of volcanoes, mainly in the south and on the islands.

The most celebrated is Vesuvius, south of Naples, where Eurasia collides with Africa in a spectacular setting over the bay.

You can take a minibus from Torre Annuziata railway station, then zigzag up a cinder path to the rim of the crater – from where you can see and smell the fumes that belch from fissures far below.

Vesuvius is overdue an eruption according to its usual cycle, but with three million people living in the vicinity the volcano is very closely monitored.

Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, is equally easy to access. You can fly to Catania in Sicily and travel north to the mountain, where a road leads most of the way up to where the terrain gets interesting. In winter the volcano is popular with skiers and snowboarders. The main hazard is lava, but once again the early-warning monitoring is excellent.

The Foreign Office warns: “Due to Mount Etna’s recent volcanic eruption, a series of earthquakes and earth tremors are affecting the Catania area and the eastern part of the island of Sicily.

“This seismic activity is expected to continue until the volcanic activity subsides.”

Sicily also puts you in a good position for a second helping: the island of Stromboli has a very active volcano and daily expeditions every afternoon to hike to the crater. These are guide-led, with strict safety standards, and are physically demanding – involving some scrambling on loose volcanic material. The reward is the chance to peer down into an active volcano, with the added bonus of superb views of the island and, on a good day, its Aeolian neighbours.

You can sail to Stromboli from the town of Milazzo, which has bus and train connections from Catania.

Spain

The Canary Islands mainly comprise extinct volcanoes, but Lanzarote remains seismically active.

Close on one million British people visit Lanzarote each year, making it one of our favourite holiday islands. While most people stay on the beach, Inland, there is much to explore in the dramatic volcanic landscape – intricately decorated by the island’s favourite artist, Cesar Manrique.

At the south of the island, the Montañas del Fuego – Fire Mountains – are full of activity and firmly on the tourist trail. Lanzarote’s landscape was last rearranged substantially by the forces of nature as recently as the 18th century, when the Fire Mountains sprouted. They are currently officially dormant, but at the raised area known as Islote de Hilario, your tour guide may pour water into a fissure; a split second later you can witness a spurt of steam. Visits should certainly be made on an organised tour to minimise risks.

Greece

Another hyperactive location – but the main volcanic attraction, the spectacular island of Santorini, is now dormant.

Iceland

The North Atlantic island, where the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the North American plate, is very young, geologically speaking. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as this fault is known, tears through the country.

Iceland’s most notorious volcano is Eyjafjallajokull – which put paid to many thousands of flights across Europe in 2010 when it created an ash cloud.

It is a long drive from the capital, Reykjavik, and there is not much to see. But there are plenty more seismic attractions – notably the original geysir, which gave all other spouts of boiling water the generic name. It is easy to see on an organised tour from Reykjavik.

The Foreign Office says: “A large volcanic eruption took place in the area around the Bárðarbunga volcano on the Vatnajökull glacier in the east of Iceland in August 2014.

“Further volcanic eruptions are possible.”

United States

Yellowstone National Park is basically the caldera of a supervolcano, measuring about 40 miles in diameter, which has exposed a wide range of seismic features – including the Old Faithful geyser, which conforms to an eruption schedule you can easily obtain.

The area around it is, in normal circumstances, safe with good access.

Costa Rica

The towering landscapes of this Central American country have been sculpted by volcanic action, and its power still flows — on display at the Arenal volcano, where molten lava lights up the night sky.

The Foreign Office warns: “Costa Rica has 16 volcanoes, several of which are considered active. The possibility of eruptions always exists.

“The last major earthquake occurred in November 2017 and measured 6.5. Three deaths by heart attack were linked to this event.”

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