Volcano Case Study Flashcards
Where is Montserrat?
South of North America, a small island in the Caribbean Sea
When did Montserrat erupt?
June 25th 1997
How many died when Montserrat erupted?
19
How large was the Montserrat eruption?
Large- 4-5 million m3 of rocks and gas released
What caused Montserrat to erupt?
The destructive plate margin below was causing the Atlantic plate to sink causing magma to rise and create a pool just below the surface
The rock above collapsed which opened a vent causing the eruption
What where the primary impacts of the eruption?
Large areas covered in volcanic material- Plymouth (capital) was buried under 12m of mud and ash
Over 20 villages and two thirds of homes were destroyed
Schools, hospitals, the airport and the port were destroyed
Farmland destroyed
19 died, 7 injured
What were the secondary impacts of the eruption?
Fires destroyed many buildings- government offices and police headquarters included
Less tourism, poor economy, however more tourists now want to see the volcano
A third of the population have left since- 12000 to 8000
Volcanic ash has improved soil quality
What were the immediate responses to the eruption?
People were evacuated- helicopters sent, France and the Netherlands sent medical support for the injured
UK sent HMS Liverpool to get survivors
Other charities sent food for farm animals
£17 million provided by the UK for emergency aid
Temporary infrastructure- roads, shelters, communications
Search and rescue provided by local services
What are the long term responses to the eruption?
Montserrat Volcano Observatory set up to try and predict future eruptions
UK provided £41 million to develop the island- docks, houses, an airport- inhabitants can rebuild their lives
