Unit 4 - Case Studies (Mount Merepi)

Question 1

On what margin is Mount Merepi located on?

Answer 1

Destructive Margin

Question 2

What ring of fire is the volcano located on?

Answer 2

Pacific Ring of Fire

Question 3

What years was it most active between?

Answer 3

1992 and 2002 - Its the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted frequently over the last 500 years

Question 4

What year did the volcano then start the erupt again in?

Answer 4

2006

Question 5

The volcano is caused by one tectonic plate being subducted under another. What plates are they?

Answer 5

Caused by the Indo-Australian plate subducting beneath the Eurasian plate

Question 6

Where is Mount Merepi?

Answer 6

Indonesia, South-East Asia

Question 7

When did the eruption occur?

Answer 7

October 2010

Question 8

What were some of the primary hazards of the eruption?

Answer 8

Pyroclastic flows and sulpher dioxide being blown across the country

Question 9

How far away were the villages that were under 30cm of ash?

Answer 9

15km away

Question 10

What was the death toll?

Answer 10

273 people

Question 11

How many people were injured?

Answer 11

577 people

Question 12

Name the only secondary hazard

Answer 12

Lahars created when heavy rainfall mixed with the ash, rock and lava - these were washed into towns

Question 13

How far away was the danger area extended too?

Answer 13

20km from the mountain

Question 14

How many people had to evacuate due to the danger zone being extended?

Answer 14

278,000 people

Question 15

The evacuation centres were overcrowded - what did this lead too?

Answer 15

Poor sanitation

Question 16

How many people were displaced from their homes?

Answer 16

36,000 people

Question 17

What transport method was grounded?

Answer 17

Aeroplanes

Question 18

Why did the price of vegetables increase?

Answer 18

Because of the damage to the crops

Question 19

What did farmers loose as a result of the eruption?

Answer 19

Homes and livelihoods

Question 20

When do smaller eruptions normally occur?

Answer 20

Every 2-3 years

Question 21

When do larger eruptions normally occur?

Answer 21

Every 10-15 years

Question 22

What did ash lead to in the area in order to benefit the locals?

Answer 22

More fertile soil

Question 23

Pyroclastic flows, lava flows, lahars and ash caused damage to what?

Answer 23

Homes, buildings and the environment

Question 24

What preparation strategies did they have in place before the eruption?

Answer 24

Satellites and cameras were placed around the volcano to monitor activity for warnings - sirens sound in villages to alert people, the army also help to move people out of villages

Question 25

What was set up around the volcano to stop people from entering?

Answer 25

The forbidden zone

Question 26

How did they modify the event?

Answer 26

The lava flows can be diverted or chilled

Question 27

How did they modify the vulnerability?

Answer 27

Small earthquakes and swelling of the ground suggests that it was about to erupt. Gas discharges damage wildlife and vegetation, they are trying new monitoring techniques

Question 28

How did they modify the losses?

Answer 28

Some insurance policies cover for property losses caused by volcanoes