Volcanoes case studies Flashcards
Describe the location of Mount Merapi volcano
In Indonesia, there are 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It is along Sunda Trench, it is an active composite volcano (cone-shaped with a narrow base and steep sides, andesitic lava). Smoke can be seen erupting from it 300 days a year.
Indonesia is an EDC
Why do people live near Mount Merapi?
Volcano weathered lava is very fertile so yields excellent crops
Geothermal energy is being developed so people move closer for jobs
Mining sulphur from the sides bring in money
Indonesian culture and heritage is linked directly to volcanic activity.
What were the impacts of the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption?
18 people were found dead straight away from burns and respiratory issues
367 killed, injured 277 and displaced 410,000
278,000 people had to evacuate
Planes were grounded in Western Australia
Large numbers of livestock were killed, many farmers lost their livelihoods
Describe the eruption of Mount Merapi
Lahars
Lava flows closed roads
Ash fell over 30km away
Lava bombs were thrown from the summit 4km in all directions
What were the responses to Mount Merapi’s eruption 2010?
Thousands were evacuated from a 20km radius
210 evacuation centres were set up, overcrowded with poor sanitation
1600 people were part of the national aid response
A conservation area has been set up around the volcano where it is unsafe to go
2682 people moved to safer houses permanently
Describe the location of Mount Ontakesan
It was a place of spiritual pilgrimage
Had been dormant for many years (but was classified as active)
Japan has 110 active volcanoes
It is a strato-volcano 3000m tall
There were no signs of an imminent eruption
Japan is an AC
Why did people live near Mount Ontakesan?
Folklore associated with volcanoes
A tourist destination
Popular with climbers and hikers
What were the impacts of the 2014 Mount Ontake eruption?
Killed 63, over 200 survivors made it down, most casualties were climbers and hikers.
Severely affects the environment, local agriculture and tourism.
Fields of Chinese cabbage were lose, tourist lodges were heavily damaged and some trails closed for 5 years.
Describe the Mount Ontake eruption 2014
Falling ash and boulders of sufficient density to cause several minutes of total darkness
Pyroclastic flows extended approximately 2.5km along the valley at an average speed of 32km/h
Ash and pyroclastic flows
What were the responses to the 2014 Mount Ontake eruption?
Typhoon- heavy rains, making it hard for helicopters to land near the summit.
Rescue and recovery missions began on 28 Sept deploying over 500 military police
Air space in the vicinity of the eruption was closed as a precaution
Describe the location of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano
Was a phreatomagmatic eruption
Basaltic lava, little silica, lava flows further
Iceland is active with volcanoes as its on a divergent margin and on a hotspot
Had been dormant for nearly 200 years
30 volcanic systems in Iceland
Eyjafjallajökull is an ice cap volcano
Why did people live near Eyjafjallajokul?
People had been farming the surrounding land for 100s of years
Land is flat and fertile
Tourists in Iceland e.g. Blue Lagoon
Geothermal energy- houses around the area use the hot water
Power station is nearby providing hot water for 100,000 people in the capital
What were the impacts of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption?
Destroyed roads and bridges
Geothermal energy pipes were disrupted
Black ash was produced and remained in water sources- clogged up machinery and covered buildings
Local water supplies were contaminated
The ash would be able to track towards European airspace
Glacier is unlikely to ever recover
In Kenya, due to the aeroplane disruptions, farm workers lost their jobs or suffered pay cuts as fresh produce perished
The landscape was permanently changed
Ash n the ground has improved crop yields for farmers
Describe the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
Started with Lava being pushed out of a 500m fissure, lava fountains stopped on the 11th and people were allowed back to their homes. Then Eyjafjallajokul erupts under the glacier.
Glacial outburst floods
Within tens of minutes, the glacier melts and reaches peak discharge
30cm of ash in some places
What were the responses after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption?
After the eruption, bulldozers were quickly able to rebuild embankments and within a few weeks the highway was reconstructed
Had plenty of advanced warning
River banks and channels were widened to deal with ash, but if the volcano had erupted again it would have little effect
Industrial production was affected as raw materials could not be flown in
1000 people had to evacuate to safe zones
100,000 flights cancelled or re-routed
cost airlines £80 million
