New Zealand's White Island is likely to erupt violently again, but a new alert system could give hours of warning and save lives
- Written by David Dempsey, Senior Lecturer in Engineering Science, University of Auckland
Tourists visiting Whakaari/White Island on December 9 last year had no warning of its imminent violent eruption. The explosion of acidic steam and gases killed 21 people, and most survivors suffered critical injuries and severe burns.
The tragedy prompted us to develop an early alert system. Our research shows patterns of...