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Soufrière (volcano)
Encyclopedia
La Soufrière [The Sulfurer] or Soufrière Saint Vincent is an active volcano
on the island of Saint Vincent
in the Windward Islands
of the Caribbean
.
with a crater lake
.
on Martinique
, killed 1,680 people. The death zone, where almost all persons were killed, was close to entirely Carib. This last large remnant of Carib culture was destroyed, the island of Dominica's Carib Territory being much smaller in comparison at that time.
The last recorded eruption was in April 1979; due to advance warning there were no casualties.
Many volcanoes in the Caribbean
are named Soufrière (French
: "sulphur outlet"). These include Soufrière Hills
on Montserrat
and La Grande Soufrière
on Guadeloupe
.
Famous and spectacular painting by JMW Turner of the eruption on 13th April 1812. Belongs to the Victoria Art Gallery and Museum, University of Liverpool.
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
on the island of Saint Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
in the Windward Islands
Windward Islands
The Windward Islands are the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, within the West Indies.-Name and geography:The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the...
of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Geography and structure
At 1234 m (4,049 ft), it was the highest peak on Saint Vincent but is now the second highest from the last eruption. Soufrière is the island's northernmost and youngest volcano. It is a stratovolcanoStratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
with a crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
.
Eruptive history
La Soufrière violently erupted in 1718, 1812, 1902, 1971, and 1979. The eruption of May 7, 1902, just hours before the eruption of Mount PeléeMount Pelée
Mount Pelée is an active volcano at the northern end of the island and French overseas department of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles island arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of layers of volcanic ash and hardened lava....
on Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, killed 1,680 people. The death zone, where almost all persons were killed, was close to entirely Carib. This last large remnant of Carib culture was destroyed, the island of Dominica's Carib Territory being much smaller in comparison at that time.
The last recorded eruption was in April 1979; due to advance warning there were no casualties.
Many volcanoes in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
are named Soufrière (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: "sulphur outlet"). These include Soufrière Hills
Soufrière Hills
The Soufrière Hills volcano is an active complex stratovolcano with many lava domes forming its summit on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. After a long period of dormancy, it became active in 1995, and has continued to erupt ever since...
on Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
and La Grande Soufrière
La Grande Soufrière
La Grande Soufrière, , is an active stratovolcano located on the French island of Basse-Terre, in Guadeloupe. It is the tallest mountain in the Lesser Antilles, and rises 1,467 m high....
on Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
.
Famous and spectacular painting by JMW Turner of the eruption on 13th April 1812. Belongs to the Victoria Art Gallery and Museum, University of Liverpool.