Volcanic Hazards: Impacts And Responses Flashcards
Define the primary impacts of volcanic hazards.
Impacts that are a direct result of the eruption. Eg: people killed by falling rock.
Define the secondary impacts of a volcanic hazard.
Impacts that occur as a result of a primary impact. Eg: pyroclastic floods can melt ice and cause flooding.
What are the social impacts of volcanic eruptions?
- People are killed and buildings can be destroyed.
- Pyroclastic flow can start fires damaging buildings.
- Mudflows and flooding can further damage buildings and cause deaths.
What environmental affects do volcanic eruptions have?
- Ecosystems damaged by flows and fallout.
- Acid rain causes acidification of aquatic ecosystems killing plants and animals.
- Volcanic gases contribute to greenhouse gases adding to global warming.
- Clouds of ash can reduce sunlight decreasing the temperature over large areas.
What are the economic impacts of volcanic eruptions?
- Business destroyed and ash clouds prevent aircraft flying.
- Damages to building and infrastructure expensive to rebuild/ repair.
- Can attract tourism boosting the economy.
What are the political impacts of a volcanic eruption?
- Damage to land can cause food shortages leading to conflict and political unrest.
- Governments have to spend money repairing damaged buildings rather than investing in schools, decreasing speeds of development.
Define hazard mitigation.
Anything that is done to reduce the severity and impacts of a hazard.
Define short term response.
Actions that occur immediately after or during an eruption. Eg: evacuating people at risk and providing emergency food supplies.
Define long term responses.
Actions that reduce the impacts of future eruption by managing the risks.
What are the three types of long term responses?
1) Prevention
2) Preparedness
3) Adaptation
Describe prevention as a long term response of a volcanic hazard.
Not possible to prevent volcanic eruptions.
However it is possible to prevent the risk imposed by volcanoes. Eg: preventing the land around volcanoes from being developed.
Describe preparedness as a long term response of a volcanic hazard.
What happens before an eruption to minimise risk. Eg: monitoring systems to predict when an eruption might occur.
They can border of dangerous areas and ensure individuals are prepared by knowing their nearest emergency shelter is.
Describe adaptation as a long term response of a volcanic hazard.
How people change their behaviour to minimise the risks and maximise benefits of living near a volcano.
Eg:
- Buildings strengthened so they don’t collapse
- Tourism from a volcano can benefit and the soil is very fertile.
Describe the context of the Soufrière hills volcano eruption.
Montserrat in Caribbean.
On a destructive plate margin (NA being subducted under Caribbean)
1997 series of large eruptions.
How much material was released over what period in the Soufriére Hills eruption?
4-5 million cubic metres of material released in 20 minutes.
