An ash column rises above Soufrière Hills volcano in January 1997. Intermittent phreatic eruptions began at Soufriere Hills on July 18, 1995. A new lava dome started growing in English Crater in September 1995 and eventually filled much of the crater. Pyroclastic flows accompanying dome growth initially were restricted to the eastern flanks, but eventually traveled in all directions, making the entire southern half of the island uninhabitable. In August 1997, pyroclastic flows destroyed much of Plymouth, the former capital of Montserrat.

Photo by Mark Davies, 1997 (Montserrat Volcano Observatory).

This image is made available under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license terms.

Soufrière Hills