The Volcanic Hazards of Ash and Tephra Fall

Created By: Jeremy Shaha

Michigan Technological University

GE 404, Instructor: Bill Rose



The purpose of this web page is to provide the public with general information about the hazards of tephra falls. Through this page you will be able to connect to sites that provide more information on what tephra falls are, and the hazards they create. You will also be able to connect to sites that describe tephra falls of past volcanoes, and the effects they had on the people in the area.


Tephra is a general term for fragments of volcanic rock and lava that, regardless of size, are blasted into the air by explosions or carried upward by hot gases in an eruption column.

The Dynamics of Tephra Fall - a brief description of how and why tephra falls occur.

The Rise and Dispersion of Tephra Plumes - a link to a web page showing different types of dispersion patterns for tephra plumes.

Tephra Hazards - a general description of the hazards produced from the fall of tephra.

Tephra Catalog of the World - a catalog showing the magnitude and time of deposition for various tephra deposits throughout the world.

Tephra Magazine - a New Zealand magazine that discusses volcanoes and their hazards.

Tephrabase - a database developed at the University of Edinburgh of tephra deposits and their source volcanoes.




Tephra Fall from Volcanoes in the United States



References