Volcanoes erupting: attractions and dangers
Speaker: Dr Szabolcs Harangi, volcanologist, university professor, full member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Head of Department at the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, ELTE Faculty of Science
Volcanic activity is beneficial to humanity in many ways, and it is no coincidence that hundreds of millions of people live near volcanoes. The fertile soil provides abundant food, and volcano tourism has been growing in recent years, boosting local services. However, spectacular volcanic eruptions also pose dangers and cause serious material losses. Approximately 10 per cent of the Earth's population, or 800 million people, live in areas at risk of volcanic activity. What is the volcanic hazard? What can we do, and what is the role of science? Is the number of volcanic eruptions increasing? Can we expect supervolcanic eruptions? How can we better understand volcanoes and volcanic activity? Iceland, the Canary Islands, Hawaii and the Naples region are among the examples, but in the end, the Carpathian Basin is also discussed, where there have been various volcanic eruptions over the past 20 million years, including huge ones, with the most recent volcanic activity occurring only 30,000 years ago in Székelyföld. Is there a place for volcanological research here? What can we do with this volcanic heritage?
Admission to the event is free of charge.
The programme is supported by the National Cultural Fund.