Its eruptions over the years have caused Explosions of ash and dangerous lava flows. Even with this risk many tourists visit the volcano every year. It also commands the interest of many scientists and volcanologists.

Attempts where made to mine sulphur from the island in the mid 1880s, 1898-1901 and 1913-1914. The last attempt ended after part of the western crater rim collapsed which caused a lahar that killed all 10 workers.

A huge section of the western crater rim had fallen away into the crator. It was estimated about 2 million tonnes of debris. Scientists came to the conclusion after that the section of the cliff had been weakened by chemical corrosion and from being riddled with steam vents. It had collapsed, possibly from a small earthquake, and fallen into the crater lake. Some thermal vents where blocked for a period of time and the pressure built up.

When they finally broke free, and they changed the mass of mud in a huge boiling mud flow,which swept towards the sea, carrying boulders and rocks with it. None of the 10 workers where ever found. It is believed that the tragedy happened in the night, leaving the miners no chance to leave, as they were overwhelmed by the torrent of mud. The miners where probably buried under several meters of rock or carried by the torrent of mud and rock, over Troups head in the sea some 50 meters below.

A few years later in 1923 another ming attempt was made but this time they built their huts on a flat part of the island near a Gannet colony. Each day that they worked, they would lower their boats from a gantry and then row across to the mining factory in Crater Bay. Eventually, mining ended in 1934 because of the poor content of the minerals in the fertilizer they were making. You can still see the Mine as they left it, but it has been corroded from the gases of White Island.