The Core
Dante’s Peak: The Volcano Erupts
A Pyroclastic Flow or Cloud is a current of hot gas and rock and most commonly known as tephra, as described by scientists. Pyroclastic can reach an outrageous speed of up to 500 mph while the cloud can reach about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and above. The cloud is filled with very toxic gases meaning it incinerates and poisons everything/everyone it comes across in its pathway. In Dante’s peak, a volcano explosion occurs, which leads to a pyroclastic cloud. A character known as Harry Dalton, who is employed by the US Geological Survey, believes that a dormant mountain known as Dante’s peak is about to explode and erupt (Hunter 00:00 – 00:20). Harry Dalton urges Dante’s peak of the town’s residents to be keen and prepare for evacuation before the explosion happens. Harry Dalton’s warnings were ignored by all people, including the town’s residents, his boss, and, more so, his colleagues. The tests indicated that Dante’s peak had been dormant for centuries. Paul, who was Dante’s boss, insinuates that the predicament approach was to be cautious and slow and thus avoid panic to the residents. Most of Harrys’ friends remained unconvinced about the warning since the analysis and evidence did not fully support Harrys’ claims. Harry is the best at what he does. He carries more tests in his computer, and he even described to his friends vividly and by use of an experiment describing how to boil a frog. Harry befriended Dante’s peak mayor, known as Rachel Wando (Hunter 00:30 – 00:59). Harry’s evidence was not enough to convince the town leadership, and it became too late for any more approval and evidence.
Harry notices that the tap water had problems; he visited the main supply or source near the volcanic mountain and realized that the volcanic activity had leached sulfur into the water source. Harry quickly went and showed his boss Paul the incidence; that’s when it hit them that it was only a matter of time before the volcanic mountain explodes. They started informing the town to evacuate immediately to neighboring towns, which were much safer. Still, a series of expounders of earthquakes created pandemonium in places like the gym, and hence people started running out (Hunter 00:29). The town residents panicked a lot as they had to find means and escape the town as fast as possible. Harry immediately had to rush and go for the kids who belonged to Rachel and try to rescue them, and he had to drive through ash cloud and a river.
Harry arrived at Rachel’s house and found that the kids were not available. Graham had to steal Rachel’s truck and drive up the mountain to take the kids from Ruth’s house who, due to fear she refused to get out of her house. Immediately after reaching Ruth’s house and rescuing the kids, molten lava destroys Ruth’s house and thus forcing them to the lake, which had become acidic. The lake which had turned to acid like properties starts eating away the boat and its convergent propeller. The propeller gets eaten away as they near the other side of the lake. Ruth came to their rescue by jumping to the lake’s shallow end and pulls the boat to the nearshore of the lake. Unprecedented injuries occurred that is, Ruth, injured her legs, which were burned every day to the injuries and a lot of trauma that Ruth faced she succumbed to them and passed away after making peace with Rachel (Hunter 01:10 -01:57).
Paul, who was the boss and his colleagues, was helped by the national guard to evacuate the town but due to the swelling of the river that had overflown from a combination of the molten lava and the breaking of the boundaries of the town’s dam. After evacuation and rescue of people, the scientists also depart with the help of the national guard. The whole team was safely rescued, and they reached safely in Humvees, but the unlucky Paul gets stuck on the bridge, which is then washed by the overflowing river. Harry and Rachel found a truck, and with the kids, they safely reached the other side of the town as the volcanic mountain kept on exploding. The explosion was accompanied by a cloud commonly known as Pyroclastic, which is dangerous and harmful to health. The Pyroclastic destroyed the town; luckily, Harry drives the truck into a mine where they also found Graham, and they successfully escaped the Pyroclastic (Hunter 02:00 – 02:15).
By using a beacon that Harry had, he used it to help locate other people and rescued them. Harry was separated from Rachel and the kids when he tries to turn the truck, and the mine collapses concurrently. Harrys rips were broken, but he successfully turned on the beacon as the truck was crushed beyond repair by the weight of the enormous debris (Hunter 2.1 – 2.34). They were eventually rescued and carried by helicopters together with another family.
References
1.Donaldson, R., Herzberg, I., Hurd, G. A., Hunter, S. A., Murphy, G., Schneider, M., & Singer, J. (1997). Dante’s Peak (10/10) Movie CLIP – The Volcano Explodes. TM & © Universal, https://youtu.be/vfIUYDjo8WM .
2.Donaldson, R., Herzberg, I., Hurd, G., Hunter, S., Murphy, G., Schneider, M., & Singer, J. (1997). Dante’s peak 9/10 Movie CLIP – Crossing the Lava river [Film]. Dante’s peak: TM & © Universal, https://youtu.be/r421zjv-hoE.