Monserrat volcanic eruption 1997 Flashcards
Where is Montserrat located?
East- Southeast of Puerto Rico and Southwest of Antigua
What date did the eruption occur?
25th June 1997 at 1pm
What areas were effected?
The south of Montserrat and Plymouth
What was the VEI
3-4
Volcanic shape?
Stratovolcano
Eruptive history?
The Soufriere hills volcano began its eruption on the 18th July 1995
What’s the climate like?
Tropical and mild all year round
What’s the landscape like?
Rugged and volcanic, mountainous
What are the Soufriere hills?
An active complex stratovolcano, became active in 1995 and continued to erupt ever since
What type of plate boundary is there?
Destructive plate boundary, Caribbean and Atlantic plates move together causing a subduction zone.
How many houses were destroyed?
100-150 (buried in debris from pyroclastic flow or set alight due to intense heat
How many people were killed?
19 (in inclusion zones)
How much of the population were evacuated to the North of the island and put into temporary housing?
50%
How many injuries were there?
7
What were common injuries?
Breathing problems and burns to the nostrils and mouth
We’re there pyroclastic flows?
Yes incredibly large pyroclastic flows
What area was abandoned?
Plymouth the official capital
What was visibility like?
Ash was so thick it was impossible to see the road which was a hazard to the search and rescue team
What happened to aluminium window shutters?
They were melted and twisted
What happened to food availability long term?
Food shortages across the island
How long did it take for the island population to decrease by 3000
By february 1996
What happened to vegetable beds?
The soil was baked hard and we’re bare of plants
How much did it cost the british government?
£56 million
How many evacuees moved into temporary housing in the north?
1366
What went into place to help people’s safety from dangerous areas?
Exclusion
How were gas emissions measured after the event?
Using a spectrometer
We’re there helicopter search and rescue?
Yes for survivors in the spanish point area
What did charities send?
Emergency food for farm animals
How much money did the UK government send in emergency aid?
£17 million
What is being put in place instead of Plymouth?
Little bay a new town is being constructed as the new capital
How much money went toward accommodating 1000 people in the north?
£6.5 million
What is the economy like in Montserrat?
Effectively haltered and hasn’t fully recovered
What programme did the UK fund?
A crisis programme of action
What did red cross fund?
Set up temporary schools
What happened by 2005?
The south of the Island still remained out of bounds
What did red cross do for the elderly?
Built a home for the elderly
The Uk government funded a 3 year re development programme, what did this entail?
Houses, schools, medical services, infrastructure, agriculture, and mortgages to start businesses- Cost £122.8 million
What was the level of development like?
A small island in the developing state
What’s the island vulnerable to?
Impacts of climate change and volcanic eruption in the Soufriere hills
What is still a problem in Montserrat?
Small aging population as the only people that stayed were elderly, damage to infrastructure, and inadequate housing
What was the population like?
Small population of 5,900 people estimated in 2008
How prepared was the island?
Evacuation of high risk areas took place in 5 minutes as the island is used to frequent eruption
Since when was the volcano a threat?
Eruption started in 1995 and the volcano has been active ever since
What type of lava was there?
Andesitic magma, thick lava flows with 15-20% silica, making the lava viscous and the eruption explosive
How did GPS help with preparation?
Measured ground deformation
What does the MVO do? (Montserrat volcano observatory)
Plays a key role in monitoring the volcano
