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The Soufriere (Sulphur) Hills volcano erupted in 1995 and has been erupting to a lesser extent ever since. This was the first eruption since the 17th Century. The capital city of Plymouth was covered in pyroclastic flow and lahars. The capital was exacuated and the tourist industry destroyed. There were riots as local people felt that not enough was being done by the British governement to help. Currently there is a large exclusion area of much of the island to protect people from the continuing eruption. The lava is an andestic with the volcano being located on a destructive plate boundary. The silica from the subducted plate makes the lava viscous, trapping gas and allowed pressure to buid before the eruption. Thus you get powerful but infrequent eruptions.
Recently Mrs Swain returned from a holiday with these photos.
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