Clues of Volcanic Eruption in China from Myths, Legends and Written Records

Historical records of volcanic eruption can be used to determine a most exact time of the eruption, and describe a particular eruption process and its hazard effects. Manchurian data for eruption of Tianchi volcano is the most important database besides Chinese and Korean data of this area. Some of the most interesting myths and legends of volcano and volcanology have been searched out from Manchurian. This paper shows 14 pieces of myths or legends, which are grouped into three types, standing for Tianchi volcanic eruption. It seems clearly that Tianchi volcano erupted lots of times in the last milleniums, some violently, and some gently. There was a strong correlation between the eruption and the lahar or flood around Tianchi volcano. Flood or lahar influenced the ancient people along the Nenjiang riverbanks 460 km away from Tianchi volcano. There are some other historic records for volcanic eruption in China. The determined eruption from Carerdaci volcano in 1951, located in Yutian, Xinjiang, was an event of magma rising and steam blasting.