Catherine Joséphine "Katia" Krafft and her husband, Maurice Paul Krafft, were French volcanologists who died in a pyroclastic flow on Mount Unzen, in Japan, on June 3, 1991. The Kraffts were known for being pioneers in filming, photographing and recording volcanoes, often getting within feet of lava flows. Their obituary appeared in the Bulletin of Volcanology. Werner Herzog's documentary Into the Inferno mentions them.
Early life
Katja was born on April 17, 1942 in the commune of Guebwiller, France. Maurice Krafft was born on March 26, 1946 in the city and commune of Mulhouse, located in the Alsace region of France. Krafft discovered his interest in volcanoes at seven years old while on a family trip to Naples and Stromboli, joining the Société géologique de France at age 15. He studied geology at the University of Besançon then the University of Strasbourg. Katia also graduated from the University of Strasbourg, where she graduated with degrees in physics and chemistry. The two met on a bench at the university and got married in 1970. With little money, they saved up for a trip to Stromboli and photographed its near-continuous eruption. Finding that people were interested in this documentation of eruptions, they soon made a career out of filming volcano eruptions, which afforded them the ability to travel the globe.
Career
The Kraffts were often the first to be at an active volcano, and were respected and envied by many volcanologists. Their footage of the effects of volcanic eruptions was a considerable factor in gaining the cooperation of local authorities faced with volcanic threats. One notable example of this was after the onset of activity at Mount Pinatubo in 1991, where their video of the effects of the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia was shown to large numbers of people, including Philippine PresidentCory Aquino, and convinced many skeptics that evacuation of the area would be necessary.
Mount Unzen eruption
In June 1991, while filming eruptions at Mount Unzen, they were caught in a pyroclastic flow, which unexpectedly swept out of the channel that previous smaller flows had been following and onto the ridge they were standing on. They were killed instantly along with 41 other people, including fellow volcanologistHarry Glicken, several firefighters and journalists also covering the eruptions. The work of the Kraffts was highlighted in a video issue of National Geographic, which contained a large amount of their film footage and photographs as well as interviews with both. Maurice said in that video that "I am never afraid because I have seen so many eruptions in 23 years that even if I die tomorrow, I don't care".
Legacy
A volcanic crater, M. and K. Krafft Crater, of the volcano Piton de la Fournaise on the island of Reunion, is named after the couple. The crater is located at. Lava erupted from this crater in March 1998. The Krafft Medal honors the Krafft memory and is awarded every 4 years by the IAVCEI Scientific Assembly to someone who has made significant contributions to volcanology through service to communities affected by volcanic activity.
Books
Maurice Krafft
Guide des volcans d’Europe : généralités, France, Islande, Italie, Grèce, Allemagne..., Neuchâtel: Delachaux et Niestlé, 1974, 412 pp.
Questions à un vulcanologue : Maurice Krafft répond, Paris: Hachette-Jeunesse, 1981, 231 pp.
Les Volcans et leurs secrets, Paris: Nathan, 1984, 63 pp.
Le Monde merveilleux des volcans, Paris: Hachette-Jeunesse, 1981, 58 pp.
Les Feux de la Terre : Histoire de volcans, collection « Découvertes Gallimard », série Sciences et techniques. Paris: Gallimard, 1991, 208 pp.
* Volcanoes: Fire from the Earth, "Abrams Discoveries" series, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1993.
* Volcanoes: Fire from the Earth, 'New Horizons' series, London: Thames & Hudson, 1993.
