Short term effects of a large eruption?

Answer 1

The most important factor in determining the effects of a volcano eruption on the people, wildlife, and vegetation near the volcano is the type of eruption (which depends on the type of volcano). There are two basic kinds of eruptions and any volcano can erupt as some combination of these. The first type of eruption consists mostly of molten rock running over the surface of the Earth like a thick liquid. This kind of volcano often comes from the ocean floor and some of the most familiar examples are lava flows that occur in Hawaii. In terms of effects on people and animals, these lava flows usually move slowly enough that animals can get out of the way in time. But they are very hot and bury any vegetation (or houses!) in their path and often can start fires that are dangerous.