VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS - LEDC VS MEDC
Kilauea
Responses
Rebuilding houses, roads, machinery, etc...
Managing the Impacts
BACKGROUND
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitors the volcano.
7 mile long tube vent to the sea. Has been very successful as lava rarely escapes from it.
Small population of 2248.
The Island of Kilauea is 1.5 square miles big.
Therefore a low population density.
Secondary Impacts
Constant release of sulfur dioxide reducing air quality.
Eruptions are so frequent that investment is likely to be low.
WHAT HAPPENED
Primary Impacts
January 3rd 1983 tremors were felt for 9 hours.
However there were no deaths, but $61 million of damage.
Lava covered 37 miles of land.
181 homes destroyed.
Damage to vegetation, machinery and crops.
500 acres added to the island.
Roads and communication broken.
Montserrat
short term responses
2/3rds
of the island covered in ash
19
deaths
Pyroclastic flows destroy and cover 7 villages, Bramble airport, only hospital, biggest school and Plymouth (capital) - ”ghost town”
floods as ash blocks valleys
- Evacuation. - 11,000 population 7,000 have left to neighbouring countries or UK (3,000 to Antigua)
- Abandonment of the capital city
- The British government aid (£41 mill).
- £6.5 mill spent towards emergency housing
- Search and rescue teams sent out and survivors evacuated by helicopters
Pyroclastic flows cause forest fires and small tsunamis
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
1995 July Phreatic eruption of ash and steam August 5,000 evacuated as a precaution December Plymouth evacuated as new dome grows.
Secondary impacts
Destructive subduction plate margin
- forms the Peurto Rico Trench
& the Antilles volcanic island arc
Population had to move to the, uninhabited, north of the island
Tourism adversely effected
Long-term responses and results
Transport & communications affected – (port and airport destroyed)
Over half the population who left island have not returned (population went from 11,000 to 4000)
Soufriere Hills
chances peak
composite volcano
Acid rain destroyed vegetation and polluted rivers and lakes
Lost livelihood
• £2400 given to individuals to help them relocate – riots occurred because locals thought Britain wasn’t doing enough
• An exclusion zone was set up in the volcanic region
• Montserrat volcano observatory monitors lava domes.
• New infrastructure built in the south: new capital: “Little Bay”, new airport: “Gerald’s airport”
.
composed mainly of consolidated ash layers from previous eruptions
1996 March–Sept First pyroclastic flows down the Tar River valley, creating a new delta in the sea. April South of island evacuated. Plymouth abandoned.
Caribbean islands
"emerald isle"
30 miles southwest of Antigua
25th June- Most devastating flow yet down NE slopes of volcano - 9000m high eruption cloud.
19 people killed
who had returned to their homes in the danger zone