Santiaguito Erupts Almost Hourly

The majority of us consider a volcanic eruption to be a fairly important occurrence. Movies have done a lot to persuade us that these catastrophes completely ruin everything in their path, and that we should be grateful that they are so uncommon. There is also Santiaguito.

For the past 94 years, this volcano in Guatemala has been virtually continuously erupting. It simply never ends. And 1.2 million people reside a few kilometres from the volcano's base. The volcano is clogged with lava, and as the pressure grows hourly, it eventually explodes before subsiding once more. It's uncommon for the volcano to erupt with enough force to seriously harm the area, although it does happen occasionally.

Because Santiaguito's activity is so consistent, scientists have become interested in researching it to better understand how these things function. Locals simply keep hope that each eruption would be minor.

• Location: Guatemala