Montserrat Eruption 1997 = Monster rat
Small island in the Caribbean sea
Montserrat is a small... Soufriere Hills volcano
Key facts: Date: 25 th June 1997 (small eruptions began in July 1995) Size: 4.5 million m3 of rocks and gas released Death toll: 19 Cause: Montserrat is above a destructive plate margin where the Atlantic plate is forced underneath the Caribbean plate Magma rose up through weak points under the Soufriere hills forming an underground pool of magma The rock above the pool collapsed, opening a vent and causing the eruption
Primary impacts/effects Secondary impacts/effects Immediate/short -term responses Long-term responses A risk map was created and an exclusion zone in place. The south of the island is off-limits while the volcano is still active Shelters were built to house evacuees Temporary infrastructure was also built, e.g. roads and electricity supplies Tourists stayed away and businesses were destroyed, disrupting the economy The UK has provided 41 million to develop the north of the island new docks an airport and houses have been built in the north Large areas were covered with volcanic material the capital city Plymouth was buried under 12m of mud and ash Over 20 villages and two thirds of homes on the island were destroyed by pyroclastic flows The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has been set up to try and predict future eruptions Population decline 8000 of the islands 12,000 inhabitants have left since the eruptions began in 1995 Schools, hospitals, the airport and the port were destroyed Vegetation and farmland were destroyed Tourism on the island is now increasing as people come to see the volcano The UK provided 17 million of emergency aid (Montserrat is an overseas territory of the UK) Local emergency services provided support units to search for and rescue survivors Volcanic ash from the eruption has improved soil fertility 19 people died and 7 were injured People were evacuated from the south to safe areas in the north Fires destroyed many buildings including local government offices, the police HQ and the town s central petrol station
Iceland Volcanic Eruption, 2010
Why could the Smith family not go to Italy on holiday in 2010?
Eyjafjallajokull is in Iceland, and is an example of a major volcanic eruption. The name is a description of the characteristics of the volcano, namely Eyja meaning island; fjalla meaning mountain; and jokull meaning glacier.
Extent of Iceland volcano ash cloud The eruption in Iceland sent ash kilometres into the air. Satellite images show the cloud as brownish-black as ice particles mingle with ash.
Map showing the spread of ash over Europe
Organise the statements into primary effects, secondary effects and responses Within Iceland, many people were lucky as the volcano is on the south coast and the wind carried the ash southeast towards Europe: away from the most inhabited areas of Iceland. The ash cloud was made up of very fine particles that can clog up the engines of aircraft that attempt to fly through them. Flooding was a problem. As the eruption occurred beneath a glacier, a huge amount of meltwater was produced. Ash contaminated local water supplies with fluoride and farmers near the volcano were warned not to let their livestock drink from streams and water sources. Industries were affected by a lack of imported raw materials, e.g. Honda announced a partial halt to production. Over 8 days, 100,000 flights were cancelled affecting 10 million passengers. People living in the rural areas down wind of the volcano had to wear goggles and facemasks as the ash was so thick. Scientific research will be carried out to find better ways of monitoring ash concentrations and improving forecast models. Visibility was down to a few metres. In Kenya 20% of the economy is based on the export of green vegetables (beans, peas) and flowers to Europe. These are perishable goods and are transported by plane to keep them fresh but the flight ban meant that products were destroyed. Eyjafjallajokull has become a new Icelandic tourist attraction with it s own visitor centre. The ash cloud is thought to have cost Airlines and associated businesses, losing about 130 million a day. Local cattle farmers suffered. 500 farmers and their families had to be evacuated from the area around the volcano, Overall, 800 local people were evacuated. Tourists are encouraged to visit the land of ice and fire bringing benefits to local people and industries. Homes and roads were damaged and services disrupted (electricity, water etc). Many of the roads surrounding the volcano where shut down. Ash falls coated agricultural (farm) land with thick layer of ash, damaging crops of Winds spread the ash that was pumped high into the atmosphere over Northern and western Europe and Tests have taken place to see if planes can fly in ash clouds, in what type of ash Hundreds of thousands of people (maybe including you?!) were stranded in
Bardarbunga Eruption Begins August 2014 - aviation fears