Page 80 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

Case Study 2

Cape Verde Islands

Henry Gaudru settlement in AD1500 until around 1760. A
violent eruption took place in 1680, visible over
Introduction hundreds of kilometres and lasting for a few years.
It was during this eruption that the island earned
The Cape Verde Islands are located in the mid- its name. Lava from the volcano has reached the
Atlantic Ocean some 450 kilometres (about 300 eastern coast of the island within historical times.
miles) off the west coast of Africa. This volcanic
archipelago includes ten islands and five islets, Tourism
divided into the windward (Barlavento) and When tourists visit Fogo a trip to the volcano
leeward (Sotavento) groups. The main islands in summit is recommended, but it is not for the faint
the Barlavento group are Santo Antão, São Vicente, hearted. Guides are there to help people with the
Santa Luzia, São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista; those
of the Sotavento group include Maio, Santiago, trip to the volcano crater – the ascent of 1200m
Fogo and Brava. All the larger islands except Santa takes approximately five hours and the descent into
Luzia are inhabited. Three islands – Sal, Boa Vista the crater (180m) takes approximately two hours.
and Maio – generally are level and very dry. In the 20th century there were two eruptions.
Mountains higher than 1280m are found on Lava spewed from one of the two chimneys on the
Santiago, Fogo, Santo Antão and São Nicolau. southern side of the volcano in 1951 and also
created cones to the north and south of the Pico
Fogo Island – such as Monte Orlando, Monte Rendall and
Monte Preto de Cima. These eruptions all began
Fogo (Portuguese for ‘fire’) is a volcanic island in along a line of volcanic fissures extending from the
the Sotavento group of Cape Verde. The population flank of the Pico de Fogo summit cone across the
of the island is approximately 38,000. Fogo Island floor of Cha das Caldeiras. The lava flows that
is sandwiched between the islands of Santiago and issued from these vents spread over the northern
Brava. It is one of the southern-most islands of and southern parts of Cha das Caldeiras and down
Cape Verde, but it is the most prominent of the the eastern flank of the island (Figure CS2.1). In
group, rising to nearly 3000m above sea level at 1995 the volcano erupted again, forming a new
Mt Fogo, a single massive stratovolcano. Its largest crater called Pico Pequeno. This eruption started
feature is a 9km wide caldera, which has walls on the night of 2 April 1995 when the flanks of
1km high. The caldera has a breach in its eastern Pico split apart as a line of fissures opened. The
rim and a large peak rises in the centre. The eruption began and a curtain of fire issued from
central cone Pico de Fogo forms the highest point the volcano and poured down into the crater.
of Fogo island at 2829m. Its summit is about 100m Thousands of inhabitants fled. The day after, the
higher than the surrounding wall of the caldera. whole island was covered by a thick cloud of dark
This summit cone, capped by a 500m wide, 150m ash which extended 5km into the sky; lava bombs
deep summit crater, was apparently in almost up to 4m wide landed half a kilometre from the
continuous activity from the time of Portuguese eruption and a day later lava fountains were

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