Photograph of Fogo eruption by Frank Trusdell, U.S. Geological Survey
Location:Cape Verde
14.95 N, 24.35 W
Height: 2829 m above sea level
The island of Fogo is one large volcanic cone. It has a 8 km wide caldera
that opens out to the east. The best farmland on the island is on the
flat ground of the caldera, so poor farmers are forced to live in the are even though someday an eruption may chase them out.
On April 2, 1995 red lava and ash was falling from the volcano. People who lived nearby evacuated the area of the eruption. As many as 5000 people moved out of the caldera.
Two aa lava flows were formed, each which were about 4 kilometer long and 600 m wide. The temperature of the lava was 1026 C. The lava flows destroyed a many houses and valuable farm land. Strombolian activity later reached heights of greater than 1,000 ft. and the cone grew to a height of 520 ft. On April 23 a new vent formed and erupted lava that flowed 2,300 ft. to the west in only a few hours. The next day, Strombolian activity decreased. From late April to May 2, lava continued to flow from the crater but at a much reduced rate.
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