My path to becoming a Volcanologist – Richie Robertson and the 1979 eruption on St Vincent

Guest post by Richie Robertson, Director of University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre

La Soufriere volcano looms largely in the consciousness of most Vincentians. Although it occupies the northern third of the island and is often shrouded in clouds, it does not take very much to command our attention. There have been numerous instances in the past when the occasional smell of sulphur, thunderstorms over the volcano and the spurious observation of someone visiting the summit crater, have led to rumours of an eruption. It is, therefore, not surprising that the most recent eruption of the volcano still remains fresh in the minds of those of us who experienced it.

St Vincent in eruption, April 1979. Photo credit – Steve Sparks.

My own path to becoming a volcanologist and current leader of the regional volcano monitoring organization in the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean began with the 1979 eruption. I still vividly remember awakening to the loud explosions early on Good Friday morning, April 13^th 1979 and being extremely impressed and frightened by what appeared to be clouds that had a life of their own. At the time I lived in the community of New Montrose, over 20km south of the volcano and so I could not at the time understand how something so far away could seem so close. I soon had the unforgettable experience of driving towards the volcano in a vehicle with my father, to ‘rescue’ my grandmother in the community of Rose Hall, located about 7 km from the volcano.

Map of St Vincent

As we drove towards the north, it seemed as if the entire island was on the move. People had sensibly begun a voluntary evacuation of communities close to the volcano. Once we had passed the town of Barrouallie on the western side of the island we met a nearly constant stream of people walking, riding on donkeys, hitching rides on the back of trucks and vans and crowded into cars, all heading towards the south. By the time we got to Rose Hall ash had begun to fall. Being so close to the explosions was exciting, frightening and intriguing. I could not only hear and see the explosions but I could also feel them. It was not a place you wanted to remain for very long. Observing the reactions of the community was fascinating; people were either leaving or making final plans to leave the community. It is a picture one does not easily forget.

St Vincent eruption plume, April 1979. Photo – Steve Sparks.

We quickly collected my grandmother and left Rose Hall with our vehicle packed full of passengers and their belongings. An official evacuation was called later that morning and over the next 48 hours 14,000 persons had been moved from the vulnerable areas to the north of the island to rapidly activated shelters in the south. This rapid movement of people was helped in no small measure by the efforts of individuals such as my father who simply took their vehicles and moved rapidly to assist relatives and friends who occupied areas close to the volcano.

Evacuation underway, April 1979. Photo – Steve Sparks

My subsequent experiences of the eruption, which included a brief stint at the Belmont Volcano Observatory, managing an evacuation camp and distributing supplies to emergency shelters, cemented my initial impressions and led to a burning interest in volcanology that has continued to the present day.

Evacuation, St Vincent, 1979. Photo – Steve Sparks

Volcanic eruptions have had tremendous impact on human civilization and their impact on small island nations, such as those in the Eastern Caribbean, can be particularly significant. Our knowledge of volcanoes is such that once they are monitored and the necessary advice heeded, their impact can be mitigated. The need for local and regional capacity in volcano monitoring was recognized as far back as the 1930s eruption, but took a long time to become reality. The Seismic Research Centre of The University of the West Indies which was established in 1953, now provides this service to the English-speaking Eastern Caribbean islands and I have had the pleasure over the past twenty years, of working with the small team of scientists, technicians and support staff who provide what is an invaluable service to the people of the region.