Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > The Volcanologist
In all the years I have been a geologist studying volcanoes - I've worked with Danielle and Luke this long time - we have witnessed many eruptions. I alone can count more than 20. It could even be more than that, but some of them are more memorable than others.
Remember what I said about there being different types of lava? Its true. Some is runny, and it oozes down the side of the volcano at some incredible speeds, making it very difficult to out-run if you don't get a good head-start. Some is known to travel at over 60mph! Then there's the explosive lava, causing explosive eruptions, lava bombs, and worst of all pyroclastic clouds. If you are lucky enough to get away from the thick, slow-running lava, then I pray that you are far enough away to avoid the pyroclastic cloud. And some of the eruptions we've witnessed, we can only describe as catastrophic.
But there is one eruption - and one volcano - I will never forget. It was the first one I witnessed.
I remember it so clearly because I was there.
Let me take you back to 1977 - when I was 7 years old. We lived in Villarrica, Southern Chile. The village was at the foot of the volcano. Mom knew, but thought it was no great threat at the time. We had travelled to many countries, and had settled in that village for some time as she carried on with her work. My brother Jared was 5 years old.
It was lovely sunny weather outside, and we went out to play on the streets. We were always allowed to do so, but we only had one rule - never go up that mountain.
But Jared, being young and innocent, didn't understand rule-breaking. He didn't know. During a simple game of hide-and-seek, he hid behind a rock at the foot of the mountain. It took me ages to find him, he gave himself away by giggling because I couldn't find him. I realised where he was and told him off. It upset him and he moved away from me, only in the wrong direction as he headed up the mountain. I had no choice but to follow and try to say sorry and try and get him down before Mom caught us.
Once again, my little brother turned something annoying into a game. He had a head-start and I couldn't catch up with him. He started teasing me.
The mountain wasn't very high. It only took us 20 minutes to reach the top. Of course, he got there first. He didn't move from there until I caught up with him. He just stood there in awe.
The crater wasn't very deep either. Back then, it was more like a dent, a cavity, with a small pool of liquid in the middle. We'd never seen a liquid like that before. It looked almost solid, like you could walk on it. But we could see it moving.
"Jared. We have to go back down! Mom is gonna kill us!"
"What's that Shannon?"
Part of the "lake" broke in the middle, and smoke started to rise.
"Cool! A lake of fire!" He ran up to the side of it.
Again I followed him in an attempt to bring him back. I was scared now. We didn't know what it was. It was black and orange, sticky-looking fluid with smoke rising from it. It looked like it would burn. And I was right.
Jared picked up a rock and approached the edge of the lake. It stood in a small crater in the ground, a shallow wall of rock keeping it contained.
"Wow! Its hot!" Jared exclaimed. We were now standing metres away from the edge. Jared stood closer than me. We were feeling the immense heat. I was even more scared as it made my face drip with sweat.
Jared tried to skim the rock on the surface of the lake. It didn't bounce. As soon as it touched the blackened surface, it sunk in a pool of orange.
There was a low rumble. We felt the smallest of vibrations beneath our feet, like feeling the bassline of a song through the speakers at a disco. Jared looked at me, as I watched the other side of the lake. The vibration had caused a ripple in the centre, expanding to the other side of the lake. A wave of it sloshed over the side. The angry-looking liquid continued in the wave, spilling over the edge all the way towards us.
I reacted quickly "JARED GET DOWN NOW!" I pulled his hand towards me and ran back from the edge of the crater, just seconds before it spilled where Jared was standing.
Jared was sitting on the floor from where I'd pulled him with such force. He wasn't hurt. He just stumbled in shock where I'd pulled him.
"What did you do that for?!"
"Look at that!" I pointed to the spilled goo, which was already beginning to crust. "That could have touched you! I don't want to touch it, it looks like liquid fire! It could have burned you, just like that rock!"
He remembered he threw a rock into the pool just before the rumble started. "Is the mountain mad at me Shannon? It was only a little rock! I wanna go home!"
'FINALLY!' I thought to myself. After I'd managed to get him half way down the mountain, I made him promise never to tell Mom about it.
We didn't give it a second thought until 2 days later.
Remember what I said about there being different types of lava? Its true. Some is runny, and it oozes down the side of the volcano at some incredible speeds, making it very difficult to out-run if you don't get a good head-start. Some is known to travel at over 60mph! Then there's the explosive lava, causing explosive eruptions, lava bombs, and worst of all pyroclastic clouds. If you are lucky enough to get away from the thick, slow-running lava, then I pray that you are far enough away to avoid the pyroclastic cloud. And some of the eruptions we've witnessed, we can only describe as catastrophic.
But there is one eruption - and one volcano - I will never forget. It was the first one I witnessed.
I remember it so clearly because I was there.
Let me take you back to 1977 - when I was 7 years old. We lived in Villarrica, Southern Chile. The village was at the foot of the volcano. Mom knew, but thought it was no great threat at the time. We had travelled to many countries, and had settled in that village for some time as she carried on with her work. My brother Jared was 5 years old.
It was lovely sunny weather outside, and we went out to play on the streets. We were always allowed to do so, but we only had one rule - never go up that mountain.
But Jared, being young and innocent, didn't understand rule-breaking. He didn't know. During a simple game of hide-and-seek, he hid behind a rock at the foot of the mountain. It took me ages to find him, he gave himself away by giggling because I couldn't find him. I realised where he was and told him off. It upset him and he moved away from me, only in the wrong direction as he headed up the mountain. I had no choice but to follow and try to say sorry and try and get him down before Mom caught us.
Once again, my little brother turned something annoying into a game. He had a head-start and I couldn't catch up with him. He started teasing me.
The mountain wasn't very high. It only took us 20 minutes to reach the top. Of course, he got there first. He didn't move from there until I caught up with him. He just stood there in awe.
The crater wasn't very deep either. Back then, it was more like a dent, a cavity, with a small pool of liquid in the middle. We'd never seen a liquid like that before. It looked almost solid, like you could walk on it. But we could see it moving.
"Jared. We have to go back down! Mom is gonna kill us!"
"What's that Shannon?"
Part of the "lake" broke in the middle, and smoke started to rise.
"Cool! A lake of fire!" He ran up to the side of it.
Again I followed him in an attempt to bring him back. I was scared now. We didn't know what it was. It was black and orange, sticky-looking fluid with smoke rising from it. It looked like it would burn. And I was right.
Jared picked up a rock and approached the edge of the lake. It stood in a small crater in the ground, a shallow wall of rock keeping it contained.
"Wow! Its hot!" Jared exclaimed. We were now standing metres away from the edge. Jared stood closer than me. We were feeling the immense heat. I was even more scared as it made my face drip with sweat.
Jared tried to skim the rock on the surface of the lake. It didn't bounce. As soon as it touched the blackened surface, it sunk in a pool of orange.
There was a low rumble. We felt the smallest of vibrations beneath our feet, like feeling the bassline of a song through the speakers at a disco. Jared looked at me, as I watched the other side of the lake. The vibration had caused a ripple in the centre, expanding to the other side of the lake. A wave of it sloshed over the side. The angry-looking liquid continued in the wave, spilling over the edge all the way towards us.
I reacted quickly "JARED GET DOWN NOW!" I pulled his hand towards me and ran back from the edge of the crater, just seconds before it spilled where Jared was standing.
Jared was sitting on the floor from where I'd pulled him with such force. He wasn't hurt. He just stumbled in shock where I'd pulled him.
"What did you do that for?!"
"Look at that!" I pointed to the spilled goo, which was already beginning to crust. "That could have touched you! I don't want to touch it, it looks like liquid fire! It could have burned you, just like that rock!"
He remembered he threw a rock into the pool just before the rumble started. "Is the mountain mad at me Shannon? It was only a little rock! I wanna go home!"
'FINALLY!' I thought to myself. After I'd managed to get him half way down the mountain, I made him promise never to tell Mom about it.
We didn't give it a second thought until 2 days later.
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