Volcanoes in Our Times

Mount Pelée, Martinique
Eruption: 1902
Regarded as the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century, Pelée claimed the lives of about 30,000 Martiniques. The cloud of gas and solid matter extruded by the eruption incinerated the entire town of St. Pierre and all but two of its 28,000 inhabitants. In the photo above, island residents watch the aftermath of the blast. The volcano spewed a smoke column like this for 11 months after the event.

• It Fell From the Sky