Volcanic Eruption Case Study - Montserrat Flashcards
What is the nae of the volcano on Montserrat?
The Chances Peak Volcano (Soufriere Hills)
Where is Montserrat?
In the Caribbean, close to the equator
What type of plate margin was the volcano formed by?
Destructive, where the North America and Caribbean plats meet.
When did the volcano erupt?
25th June 1997
How many people had to leave the island?
Over 70% of the 11,000 residents
What happened to many of the houses on Montserrat?
They were buried under 40ft of ash
How many people died?
19
How much of the island was placed in an ‘exclusion zone’?
Over half, including the capital city, Plymouth.
How much of the island was left uninhabitable?
2/3
What effect did pyroclastic flows have on the island?
They extended the coastline into the sea.
What other natural hazards did the volcano emit?
Lahars (mud flows) and huge quantities of ash.
How much material was released by the volcano?
4.5 million m2
What happened to the capital city of Plymouth?
It was buried under 12m of mud and ash
What happened to 2/3 of homes on the island?
They were destroyed by pyroclastic flows, along with 20 villages
How were social facilities impacted?
Schools, hospitals, the airport and the port were all destroyed
How were farmers affected?
Large areas of vegetation and farmland were destroyed
How was the economy disrupted?
Tourists stayed away, and many businesses were destroyed, resulting in a loss of income
What happened to the island’s population?
8000 of the island’s 12,000 residents have left since the eruptions began in 1995
How has the volcano had an effect on tourism in recent years?
More tourists have been coming to see the volcano
Which buildings were destroyed by secondary effect fires?
Government offices, the police headquarters and petrol stations
How did the UK provide aid?
£17 million was provided in emergency aid, as Montserrat is an overseas territory
How has the UK provided aid for development since the eruption?
£41 million was provded to develop the north of the island, new docks, and airport and houses have already been built
How has the island worked to improve predictions of eruptions?
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has been set up
Why were farmers and remaining farmland put under stress?
They had to produce as much food as possible, because the airport and port had been destroyed
