Paricutin Story Pt. 8

The Paricutin Story

Although many animals died following the Paricutin eruption, unable to graze on their once green fields, and falling prey to the toxic gases and the fast moving Pyroclastic flows, the long term effects of volcanic activity on livestock and wildlife are minimal. As it is with farmers, livestock will ultimately benefit from the richer soil, and the difficult to access areas of dormant or extinct volcanoes make a perfect refuge for some endangered species.

One of the oft overlooked adverse effects on volcanic activity is its the many birds who die from exposure to ash-filled air, and how their migratory patterns are also affected. Since birds are responsible for the control of insect populations, it is possible that some disease spreading species could thrive in areas where there are no more birds to eat them, which in turn becomes a problem for other animals and humans.

As I said before, nature is neither good, nor evil, it just is. Now that we have gone past the Zen of volcanic activity, let's get back to more scientific pursuits, so I can tell you a little bit more about volcanoes in general. I have included a short list including some often used volcano terminology, but first, I'd like to review some facts...