🌄Volcanic Eruption Case Study- Montserrat Flashcards
1
Q
Date of eruption?
A
June 1997 however small eruptions started in 1995
2
Q
Size of eruption?
A
Huge- 5 million meteres cubed of rock and gas released
3
Q
How many killed?
A
23
4
Q
Plate boundaries?
A
Montserrat is on a destructive plate margin with North American plate being forced under Caribbean plate
5
Q
Cause of eruption?
A
- magma rose up through weak points under the Soufrière hills forming an underground pool of magma
- the rock above the pool collapses opening a vent and causing the eruption
6
Q
Primary Effects?
A
- large areas (Plymouth) were buried under 12m of mud and ash
- over 20 villages and 2/3 of homes on island were destroyed by pyroclastic flows(clouds of gas and ash)
- school and hospitals and airports were destroyed
- farmland destroyed
- 7 injured
7
Q
Secondary Effects?
A
- fires destroyed many important buildings such as police and petrol station
- tourists stayed away and economy went down
- population decline as 8000 have left
- volcanic ash has improved soil fertility
- tourism is now increasing as peoplecometo see volcano
8
Q
Immediate Responses?
A
- people were evacuated from south to north
- shelters were built to house evacuees
- UK provided £17 million of emergency aid (Montserrats an overseas territory of the UK)
- temporary infrastructure was built such as roads and electricity supplies
- population fell from 12000 to 3500 and people left and didn’t return
9
Q
Long term responses?
A
- risk map was created and an exclusion zone is in place. The south of the island is off limits while the volcano is active
- UK has provided £41 million to develop north of the island such as new docks, an airport and houses being built
- Montserrat Volcano Observatory has been set up to predict future eruptions
- -British Gov spent 200 million helping restore electricity and water
