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Nuée ardente identification and geology

A hot, fast-moving cloud of volcanic gas, ash, and rock fragments that flows down the flank of a volcano during an explosive eruption—essentially synonymous with pyroclastic flow. The term was coined after the catastrophic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée on Martinique, which destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre and killed approximately 29,000 people in minutes. Field: volcanology. Example: The nuée ardente from the May 8, 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée traveled at speeds exceeding 150 km/hr with temperatures above 400°C, making it one of the deadliest volcanic events in recorded history.. Related terms: Pyroclastic flow, Ignimbrite, Explosive eruption, Volcanic hazard.

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Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.127987+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Nuée ardente mean in geology?
A hot, fast-moving cloud of volcanic gas, ash, and rock fragments that flows down the flank of a volcano during an explosive eruption—essentially synonymous with pyroclastic flow. The term was coined after the catastrophic 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée on Martinique, which destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre and killed approximately 29,000 people in minutes.
What is an example of Nuée ardente?
The nuée ardente from the May 8, 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée traveled at speeds exceeding 150 km/hr with temperatures above 400°C, making it one of the deadliest volcanic events in recorded history.
Which earth-science field uses the term Nuée ardente?
Nuée ardente is used in volcanology.
Which terms are related to Nuée ardente?
Related terms in this reference are Pyroclastic flow, Ignimbrite, Explosive eruption, Volcanic hazard.

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