THE VOLCANO IN ALPS, IS IT?

Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

iogan@ifz.ru

Abstract. The publications in the newspaper «St.-Petersburg Vedomosti» as well as a number of foreign issues devoted to the natural cataclysm in Savoy (Western Alps) in 1751 are analyzed. The witnesses have accepted it as a volcanic eruption. The event was observed by famous researcher of XVIII century V. Donati and described in the work of outstanding investigator of Alps H.B. Saussure. According to historical data other evidences of similar phenomena in the Alps are presented. It is suggested that a special type of explosive eruptions may occur in the Alps, though not accompanied by outpourings of lava, nevertheless constituting a great danger.

Keywords: «St.-Petersburg Vedomosti», Savoy, XVIII century, V. Donati, H.B. Saussure, volcano, eruption, rockfall.

About the author

IOGANSON Lidia I. – Cand. Sci. (Geol. and Min.), leading researcher, Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow, Russia. E-mail iogan@ifz.ru

Cite this article as: Ioganson L.I. The volcano in Alps, is it? Geofizicheskie Protsessy i Biosfera (Geophysical Processes and Biosphere), 2019, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 51–56 (in Russian). https://doi.org/10.21455/gpb2019.2-4

English version: Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics, 2019, vol. 55, iss. 8. ISSN: 0001-4338 (Print), 1555-628X (Online). https://link.springer.com/journal/volumesAndIssues/11485