Hazards - Montseratt 1997 eruption Flashcards
1
Q
Where is it located?
A
Caribbean sea, north east (roughly 400 miles) off the coast of South America in the Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
2
Q
What is it’s capital?
A
Plymouth - south west of the island
3
Q
How long / wide is the island?
A
12km long / 5km wide
4
Q
It is an island arc or chain?
A
arc
5
Q
It is a hotspot/magma plume?
A
Yes
6
Q
What did scientists do / discover in 1995?
A
monitor seismic activity, and discovered it was dormant not extinct
7
Q
When was Plymouth evacuated?
A
April 1996
8
Q
When was the catastrophic eruption?
A
25th June 1997
9
Q
Primary effects:
A
- 19 people killed
- 2/3 of all houses were buried by ash or flattened by rocks
- farmland, vegetation and 3/4 of all infrastructure destroyed
10
Q
Secondary effects:
A
- pyroclastic flow destroyed the airport
- 1/2 of the 11,000 population evacuated to the USA,UK and Antigua
11
Q
Short-term responses:
A
- Montseratt Volcano Observatory set up in 1995 which predicted the catastrophic eruption
- exclusion zones were created
- NGOs e.g. Red Cross set up temporary schools, provided medical support and food
- warning systems set up
- troops from USA and the British Navy came to aid in the evacuation process
- £17 million paid from UK for temp buildings and water purification systems
12
Q
Long-term responses:
A
- 3 year redevelopment programme for houses, schools etc. (funded by UK)
- in 1998, Montseratt people were granted full residency in the UK
- 2/3rds of the island remains an exclusion zone, but in 2005 some people moved back
- rebuilding tourism with a volcano as an attraction
- UK financial aid since 1995 over £420 million
