Pinatubo Eruption (1991) Flashcards
Where is it located?
On an island in the Philippines.
Why do you live near a volcano?
=> Limited choice, island is made of volcanoes.
=> Lush, fertile ground.
=> Tribal people have sacred territory there.
Level of development?
=> In 1991, GDP: $700 per capital.
=> Home to the biggest US air base.
Details of eruption?
=> 40km ash cloud —-> Volcanic ash and pumice blanketed the countryside.
=> Typhoon moved the extent of ashfall 1200km away.
=> Eruption was monitored by PHI VOLS who brought monitoring equipment and warned locals. —> Able to move away expensive military equipment and costs of about $50 million for aid and monitoring.
Short-Term Impact on people?
=> 75,000 people had to be evacuated from a 30km radius of the volcano.
=> 650,000 workers lost jobs.
=> Electricity went off, water contaminated, road and telephone links destroyed.
Long-Term Impacts on people?
=> $700 million in damages.
=> Aeta people who believed in volcano gods, refused to leave, all 100 who remained perished.
=> 847 killed, 300 from roofs, 100 from lahars, (thought latter two were in unaffected areas) rest from diseases.
Environmental Impacts on the Philippines?
=> Farmland destroyed by ash and pumice, making it unusable for years.
=> Volcanic ash blown in all directions, smothering fields and buildings.
=> Global cooling caused by ash —> 0.5 degrees celsius.
=> Pyroclastic-flow deposits have insulated themselves and remobilised with monsoons and typhoon rains, forming lahars.
Political Impacts on the Philippines?
=> Clark (the base) has been abandoned and transformed into a new business district.
=> Part of $24 billion Investment by China as part of BRI.
=> Political shift as China’s influence increases.
=> China may have Philippines in debt/ reduced negotiating power.
Economic Impacts of the Philippines?
=> Manilla airport had to be closed.
=> Crops suffered the biggest damaged (547 million pesos) followed by fisheries (165 million pesos).
=> Nearly every bridge with the 30 km radius needed replacing.
Mitigation against the event?
=> No existing hazard map —> NO POSSIBILITY OF MITIGATING.
=> Pinatubo assumed to be dormant —-> Low perception of risk.
=> Upon seeing smoke, volcanologists called USCS to help.
Mitigation against vulnerability?
=> As no existing hazard map, fast prepataion of map showing previous patterns, lahars and ash fall mapped. SUCCESSFUL as matched closely with actual eruption.
=>Long and short term aid organised, especially by US Red Cross.
Mitigation against losses?
=> Successful monitoring saved 5000 lives and $250 million in property by USGS AND PHIVOLCS.
=> Local population is about 250,000. Simple alert and daily briefings by officials developed to communicate risk.
=> Evacuation done 48 hours before eruption.
