It’s an explosion whose effects can be felt to this day.
This month, we mark the 25th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, which covers Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales. The volcano’s eruption on Jun 15, 1991 earned the distinction of being “the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century.”
The top spot belongs to the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in the Alaskan Peninsula.
According to various reports, around 350 people died during the eruption, most of them from collapsing roofs. Then, disease that broke out in evacuation camps and the lahar flows in the area caused additional deaths, bringing the death toll to 722.
Citing data from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), InterAksyon.com pointed out that the Pinatubo eruption “had far-reaching negative and positive global environmental impacts.”
Phivolcs explained: “For one, Pinatubo aerosol depleted earth’s ozone layer at unprecedented rates in 1991 and enlarged the Southern Hemisphere’s ozone hole to an unprecedented size in 1992.” Meanwhile, “the 20 megatons of volcanic sulfur dioxide that Pinatubo pumped into the earth’s stratosphere produced enough aerosol to cause short-lived climate cooling and decrease in global temperatures by 0.5°C between 1992 and 1993.”
Back in 1991, the eruption caused fine volcanic ash to “circulate around the globe for three weeks after the paroxysmal eruption and attained global coverage by the end of one year.” The phenomenon is reponsible for gorgeous sunsets worldwide as the ash particles diffused sunlight.
Phivolcs added, “The eruption stirred up huge scientific interest and research, not only in the eruptive behavior and hazards of active volcanoes, but particularly on the role of large volcanic eruption-forcing on global climate change.”
That said, we continue to deal with the aftermath of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption.
A 2015 Philippine Daily Inquirer report noted: “Significant deposits of lahar and volcanic materials fill the middle slopes of Mt. Pinatubo and eight rivers draining to Pampanga, Zambales, and Tarlac provinces [more than two decades] after it erupted.”
Phivolcs chief Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. was quoted as saying, “It’s been quite a long time since lahar events had occurred [during severe typhoons]. But this does not mean that the lahar threat is over. Extreme rainfall events pose lahar threats. People should be extra vigilant and ready with their contingency plans.”
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