The lessons learned from the explosive volcanic eruptions on Montserrat will help protect people around the world from future disasters, say volcanologists.

Better predictions will be possible thanks to the detailed scientific information that was gathered on the Caribbean island.

But their studies have also shown that unusual volcanic ash means the people of Montserrat face a continuing and serious threat to their health, despite the volcano being relatively quiet at the moment.

The ash contains a form of the mineral quartz which can cause the lung disease silicosis. Tiny particles of dust become embedded in the lungs, eventually leading to suffocation.

Richard Robertson is the Director at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and told BBC News Online: "This means we'll have to think carefully about where people will live in future on the volcano. We'll have to make sure the ash has been cleared and that it will not be impacted by ash on a long-term basis."

The research, published in Science, shows that the ash from lava dome eruptions is particularly dangerous. These occur when a volcano swells up so much that part of the mountain falls away in a landslide, triggering a violent explosion.

The tiniest particles in the ash contained up to 24% of the quartz mineral, up to five times more than in the associated lavas on the island. This is also over double the concentration found in the ashes from the Mount St Helen's eruption in Washington State in 1980.

The team of UK scientists also showed that activities such as driving, sweeping and children playing broke up clusters of the dust throwing the dangerous particles back into the air.

Intense monitoring

The eruptions on Montserrat were among the most intensely monitored ever by scientists.

Monitoring the rumbling volcano made predictions possible

"We basically used everything you could possibly think of - a seismology network, which brings in earthquake information continuously, ground deformation techniques and other surveying techniques including electronic tilt meters," says Mr Richardson.

There are most certainly lessons for elsewhere in the world, he says. "Seeing how all the information ties in with each other, this gives us a detailed picture of what is happening and lets us forecast what is likely in the next hours, days and months."

The Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat is andesitic, meaning that the magma is very sticky and eruptions are explosive. These volcanoes are the most common type on the continents.

The scientists used seismometers to listen to the rumbling of the volcano as magma flowed towards the surface. They also watched how the shape of the volcano changed, using electronic, satellite and surveying methods.

The behaviour of the volcano followed cycles when it was active. By the end of three years of eruptions, the scientists could use these cycles to predict what type of eruption would occur to within a few hours, saving many lives.

"We had precisely the right equipment, in the right place at the right time to monitor the changeover from a steady flow to a cyclical flow," said Dr Barry Voight, from Penn State University and one of the geological team.