Tectonics - Volcano Case Study : Montserrat

Question 1

Background information

Answer 1

• Montserrat is a tiny island in the Caribbean
• Relatively poor LEDC

Question 2

What happened?

Answer 2

• July 1995 Soufriere hills erupted for the first time in 350 years
• one month later, 50% of the island was evacuated to the north of the island
• April 1996, Plymouth became a ghost town
• the deadliest eruption hope de in June 1997 when explosive eruptions killed 23 people.

Question 3

Causes

Answer 3

Montserrat is on a destructive plate boundary
North and South American plates are sliding beneath the Caribbean plate (subduction zone)

Question 5

Short term effects

Answer 5

• 23 deaths and over 100 injured
• Plymouth (the capital) covered in ash
• high % of homes, businesses, and important infrastructure destroyed
• main airport and port closed
• 75% of the island covered in ash

Question 6

Long term effects

Answer 6

• long time taken to rebuild homes and infrastructure
• ongoing problem of respiratory disease
• environmental damage to beaches, forests, wildlife, and offshore coral reefs

Question 7

Wider Impacts

Answer 7

• economy depleted, high levels of unemployment (less than 50%)
• serious impact on tourism- only now starting to recover, last year tourism earned the island over £12m
• housing shortages leading to 70% increase in rents
• ongoing minor eruptions with more serious lahars following heavy rains
• evacuees living for a long time in cramped, unhygienic conditions

Question 8

Responses

Answer 8

• 5,000 people evacuated from towns such as plymouth and Salem
• links with the uk were helpful in relief and recovery
• Royal Navy sent ships to evacuate 4,000 people to nearby Antigua
• islanders were offered £2,500 to relocate to the UK
• UK sent £41m in relief
• UK sent £75m to assist with long term development
• Permanent volcanic activity monitoring stations set up all over the island