Volcano Case Studies
- Created by: Kerrygrace
- Created on: 02-06-17 13:27
Montserrat Eruptions 1995-
Background to Case study
Montserrat is a British Colonoy
Once known as the Emerland isle due to lush vegetation
Why is there an Volcano at Montserrat?
Soufriere Hills volcano on the Island of Montserrat in the Carribeean sea
Part of the Antilles Island Arc, created at a destructive margin at oceanic/oceanic plate
The oceanic Crust of the North American Plate is sinking under the Carribean Plate forming an Island Arc
It is a compositie/Strata as the layers are built up of ash and igneous rock from other eruptions - makes it ryholite lava
Prediction and protection methods?
As the volcano has laid dormaint for 400 years, there was a lack of protocol and understanding of what to do if it erupted
No observatory in place
No evacutation methods
No disaster plan at Montserrat
Buildings constructied in the 1990's in the valleys of the Volcanoe which were destroyed - lack of planning
Nature of the Eruption
- 1995 starting with frequent earthquakes, eruptions of steam and ash reaching heights of 2,500m, lahars
- 1997 - relatively quiet period until then but from Jan there was series of earthquakes and in July height of the eruption there was extensive pyroclastic flows, lahars and 4-5 million sq meters of material erupted. This is when Englishes Crater exploed violenty - the majoity of gas had escaped but some remained leading to explosive eruption.
- Magma had reached depth of 6km before partly crysitalising before a new injecton of magma boosted it towards the surface v
- Explosive Ryholite Lava
Hazards at Montserrat Soufriere Volcano
Pyroclastic flow - Intially nothwards but then flowed down all four valley sides of the volcano - Tar River valley - 19 died from the result of a pyrcclastic flow - destroyed plymouth airport
Lahars - Due to multihazard area, due to its tropical climate - there was much water laying on the volcano so mixed to form lahars - crops and vegetation were damaged
Ash falls - ash clouds reached 40,000 ft - day became night and crops and houses were damaged - lung diseases from fine ash particles, Ash travelled 90 miles to Antiequa
Gas - Co2 killed plants and animals
Only 40km 2 of 100km 2 was inhabitable
south part of the Island was inhabitiable
short term Impacts of The eruption
2/3 of homes destroyed, others lost value (totally 1 billion)
20 villages destroyed
the Capital Plymoth was buried under 10m of ash and mud
airport and docking facilities destroyed in pyroclasitc flow on 21st septemeber 1997
19 died
schools destroyed
Tourism which accounted for large amounts of GDP gone - although some come to look at volcano
fire spready which ruined building such as the goverment buiding, the police station
farmland and vegetation destroyed
Long term impacts of the Eruption
local economy failed to rebuilding and tourism decline as people moved away
unemployment on the island rose from 7% to 50%
population decline, 8000 out of 12000 moved away from the Island as a result of damage, 4,000 migrated to the UK
Respiratory problems
skills shortage on the Island
- more fertile soils from the minerals in the rock to farm on now
Managment of the Hazard - emergancy managment
Exclusion zones set up - risk map created which exluded the south area
evacuation of 7,000 islanders to other islands nearby or the UK
resettlement to the more safer north part of the Island
shelters to house evacuees (5,000 lived in them)
local aid and emergancy services called in
UK government gave £17 million in emergancy aid
Long Term managment of the Hazard
Montserrat Volcanoe observatory set up to monitor the volcaneo to help predict therefore make it easier to manage in future
construction of new airpiort in 2005 cost £11 million
Extensive seimsograph system around the volcano
earth dection system
UK government invested into services in Montserrat - attempts to restore tourist indusry
instrument called COSPEC used to monitor gases
county policy focuses on redevelopment of the land - UK government spend £100 million on assisting migration and investing into services on Monserrat
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