Volcano Stories — Season 1, Episode 20: Ecuador: The Obstiante Inhabitants of Tungurahua

Episode synopsis

Tungurahua is an explosive volcano in Ecuador. In 2006, the district of Palictahua was destroyed. Since then, its inhabitants have taken action to join forces. They actively take part in a surveillance network and have brought back to life an ancestral tradition of Inca culture : community fields for growing staple foods. Volcanic thermalism is rooted in the local culture, while the city of Banos celebrates the Virgin of the sacred water, who is believed to protect the city from the volcano’s anger.

About Volcano Stories

No two volcanoes are alike; each one has its own distinctive landscape, climate, and geological context. Just as unique are the people we meet along the way who help us comprehend how greatly our planet – and our lives – have been shaped by volcanic phenomena. For the scientific aspect of each episode, we explore the very diverse range of questions raised by volcanic phenomena in such varied fields as earth sciences, climatology, biodiversity, oceanography, geography, agronomics, and archaeology. The cultural part of the show delves into mythology, religion, philosophy, folk and artistic traditions, cooking, and ways of life.

More episodes from Season 1

• E1Etna: The Mountain Mountain
• E2Bromo - The Sacred Volcano of Java
• E3Tanzania - A Volcano on Maasai Territory
• E4Westman Islands - The Volcanic Guardians of Iceland
• E5Unzen - Man Versus Giant
• E6Hawaii - The Lava of Kilauea
• E7Kawah Ijen: The Hell of Sulfur
• E8Auvergne: The Mysteries of Its Sleeping Giants
• E9Ecuador - Beneath the Cotopaxi Glacier
• E10Naples: A Volcano Can Hide Another
• E11Aeolian Islands - From Hell to Paradise
• E12New Zealand: Human Treasures