[santialbo]

I hope it's not like what happened in La Palma in the Canary islands last year. But it brings to the attention that maybe building your life on a volcanic area is not the best move over the long term. Chances that something happens in a 100 year lifespan are not negligible.

[mhoad]

I was just in Azores a few months ago and was seriously considering the move there. Truly one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve even heard the chance to see.

I hope that everyone is able to stay safe and get through this alright.

[dzhiurgis]

I'm considering move from NZ to Azores too. Seems weather is quite nice, albeit might be too humid in mid summer and a bit cloudy.

[stjohnswarts]

Can I have your spot in NZ? :)

[dzhiurgis]

Sure, property is at least a million bucks and $10 per cucumber

[b20000]

what was your main reason to move?

[mrPurplePinkie]

From my point of view, In Terceira there was only one traffic light (this was ca 2003)

[ChrisMarshallNY]

Volcanic soil is some of the best soil there is.

If you want agriculture, there's no place better than near a volcano (which is one reason for big death tolls, when they blow their tops).

I lived in Uganda, and that country is surrounded by volcanoes (I think they are all dormant). The soil is jet-black, and it is a gorgeous, lush nation.

[selimthegrim]

Rwanda and Burundi too?

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I think so. There's a huge fault, right up the middle of Africa. The Rift Valley is an awesome place.

[mrlonglong]

I recently watched a documentary about the east rift valley. They say in a few millions of years there'll be a new ocean and Africa will divide into two.

[Turing_Machine]

It says in the article that 8 people were killed in the eruption of 1808, more than 200 years ago. From Wikipedia, the most recent significant eruption in the Azores was in 1957. No one was killed.

People have been living in the Azores since the 1400s.

I'm willing to bet that the risk from volcanic eruption in the Azores is considerably less than the risk from, say, traffic accidents in a major mainland city.

[DoingIsLearning]

Also not really a factor nowadays but if you were farming on volcanic land in the 1400's it would have been insanely fertile (andisol).

[santialbo]

Noone died in La Palma, but thousands of families lost their lifelong belongings.

[jp57]

Unless you're Nietzsche: “The secret of realizing the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment of existence is: to live dangerously! Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius!”

[petre]

I'd rather build on a voclanic area than anywhere near Russia. Places with volcanoes are maybe the nicest places to live if you're not obsessed with material posessions.

https://youtu.be/U1SSlulfFKg

We've been to the Azores. I really wish these people are safe. We want to return there again soon.

[zeruch]

If we pick where we live based on likelihood of natural disaster, we basically reduced the human footprint to maybe 2% of the planetary landmass. :)

[stjohnswarts]

I think there's a difference between building a house in the midwest and building one on top of a volcano? There's a lot of probably to work with there (along with possibility to escape the natural disaster, I can build a tornado proof underground shelter)