Montserrat 1997

Question 1

What are some facts about Montserrat itself?

Answer 1

1. It is part of an island arc
2. It’s a composite volcano
3. 12 by 8 km size island
4. Poor LEDC with a average household income of £2800 a year
5. Formed by Caribbean plate subduction under the North American plate
6. Main industries are fishing, agriculture and tourism

Question 2

What were the primary effects of the Montserrat eruption?

Answer 2

1. Pyroclastic flows
2. 23 people died from pyroclastic flows
3. 20 villages were destroyed
4. 2/3 of homes destroyed by pyroclastic flows
5. Vegitation and farmland destroyed

Question 3

What were the secondary effects of the Montserrat eruption?

Answer 3

1. Tourism came to a halt
2. Montserrat’s economy was devastated
3. Forest fires caused by by pyroclastic flows
4. More than half of Montserrat uninhabitable
5. Ageing population as many young people left the island
6. Unemployment increase due to the collapse of the tourist industry
7. Exclusion zone set up
8. News roads

Question 4

What were the short term responses to the eruption?

Answer 4

Evacuation to the north of the island

Question 5

What were the long term responses to the eruption?

Answer 5

1. Abandonment of the capital city (Plymouth)
2. People left the island completely
   By November 1997 the population went from 12000 to 3500
3. Volcanic observatory was built in 1996 services in North of the island expanded
4. UK gave £200 million of the compensation and redevelopment