1982 El Chichón Eruption, Mexico

On March 28, 1982, the volcano known as El Chichón erupted in Southeastern Mexican state of Chiapas. This volcano would erupt two more times on March 30th, and April 4th after scientists believed that the eruption was over and deemed it safe to return (Tilling, 2009). These eruptions would send 7 to 10 million tons of sulfur dioxide and 0.5 cubic kilometers of rock into the atmosphere causing pyroclastic flows and devastation to the surrounding area (Klemetti, 2018). These pyroclastic flows would rush down in a 7-kilometer radius killing more than 2,000 people in the surrounding villages and towns (Aabech).

Damage to palm trees caused by ash fall.
(Cruz-Reyna & Pozzo, 2008).

The first eruption occurred on March 28 and unleashed a plume of ash and rock reaching 27 kilometers into the atmosphere in 45 minutes (Klemetti, 2018). These initial plumes would lay down tephra 15 cm thick 20 kilometers away and 5 cm thick 70 kilometers away (Aabech). An estimated  100 people were killed in the initial eruption due to the ash fall and the subsequent fires caused by the heated ash (Aabech). This eruption would cause airports to shut down and all manner of agriculture to be destroyed (Cruz-Reyna & Pozzo, 2008). Many, who had already evacuated, were told that the eruption had ended and that it was safe to return, this false assumption would have dire consequences (Tilling, 2009). 

Traffic jam on an ash covered road.
(Cruz-Reyna & Pozzo, 2008).

The next eruption would occur on March 30th and was the weakest of the three (Aabech). The final and most destructive eruption would occur on April 4th where the volcano produced a pyroclastic flow that surged out over 8 km from the volcano (Klemetti, 2018). This eruption would destroy 9 towns forcing tens of thousands to evacuate (Aabech; Tilling, 2009).


In total, over 2,000 people were killed over the course of the three eruptions and over 24,000 square kilometers of countryside were covered with ash (Klemetti, 2018). An estimated $55 million of damages was done to the farming industry in the area, most of that money being lost when coco, coffee, and banana crops were destroyed (Aabech). The eruption caused a one kilometer wide and 300-kilometer-deep caldera to form at the top of the volcano which would soon be filled with an acidic lake (Admin, 2010). This acidic lake has a blue-green color due to the dissolved minerals and the fine sediment that gets stirred up by the boiling water (Admin, 2010).


The main reason this eruption was so deadly was because the volcano was not being monitored at all and gave little warning before it exploded. El Chichón was thought to be extinct, so scientists did not determine it as a threat to the surrounding villages (Tilling, 2009). There was hardly any warning for the eruption aside from a few small earthquakes from 1980 to 1981 which people did not pay much attention to (Cruz-Reyna & Pozzo, 2008). This eruption is important in demonstrating how, just because a volcano erupted once does not mean that it is over. In addition, this eruption proves that just because a volcano is thought to be extinct does not mean that it is and it should still be monitored closely.


In the future, not only should El Chichón be more closely monitored, but other volcanos once thought to 

El Chichón from the east. (Aabech)

be extinct need to be as well. Over 75% of the major eruptions that have occurred in the past couple thousand years have come from volcanoes with no known historical eruption (Tilling, 2009). Thus, all volcanos, extinct or not, must be monitored and studied to prevent major tragedies like this form occurring again. The main cause of all the deaths that occurred was from a lack of planning and wrong assumptions. Many of these deaths were preventable and, if proper care had been given, the people who lived in those villages could have been warned and been evacuated in time.

This is a summary of the El Chichón volcano's history and the damage the 1982 eruption caused. It gives information about the volcano's ancient history and the effects of the 1982 eruption. 

YouTube. (2021). The Active Volcano in Mexico; El Chichon. YouTube. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBaKPAwqBvI. 

Citations

Aabech, J. S. (n.d.). El Chichon, Mexico. Volcano El Chichon, Mexico. from https://www.vulkaner.no/v/volcan/latinam/chicon-e.html 

Admin. (2018, December 18). El Chichon. Volcano World. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/el-chichon 

Cruz-Reyna, S., & Pozzo, M. D. (2008, October 14). The 1982 eruption of El Chichón Volcano, Mexico: Eyewitness of the disaster. The 1982 eruption of El Chichón volcano, Mexico: Eyewitness of the disaster. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26588973_The_1982_eruption_of_El_Chichon_volcano_Mexico_Eyewitness_of_the_disaster 

Klemetti, E. (2012, March 28). Looking back at the 1982 eruption of El Chichón in Mexico. Discover Magazine. from https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/looking-back-at-the-1982-eruption-of-el-chichon-in-mexico 

Tilling, R. I. (2009, January 1). El Chichón's "surprise" eruption in 1982: Lessons for Reducing Volcano Risk. Geofisica Internacional. from https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70035886