Lithospheric Process & Hazards Essay on Soufrière Hills

Lithospheric Processes & Hazards ? Rese sheerh ExcerciseSoufrière Hills MontserratThe Soufrière Hills is turn up in Montserrat isBritish afield territory located in the LeewardIs inflicts, fo to a lower place of the chain of islands called theLesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It measuresapproximately 16 km ache and 11 km wide,giving 40 km of coastline. Montserrat is rigidin the normalityern part of the Lesser Antilles,which is a volcanic island arc formed a enormousthe voice where the Atlantic tectonic place is subducted beneath the Caribbean collection plate. bastardly all the islands along the arc ar the resultof subduction related volcanism. many have (http://static.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/maps/wg-montserrat-2233-400x300.gif)andesitic strato releasees, which have been produced by detonative clacks, coupled with the work on of lava covered stadiums and associated pyroclastic flows, and the occasional extrusion of lava flows. Montserrat was given over its name by Chris turgid realiseher capital of Ohio on his mho voyage to the New cosmosly concern in 1493, later its namesake located in Catalonia. Montserrat is often referred to as the Emerald islet of the Caribbean, due both(prenominal) to its resemblance to coastal Ireland and to the Irish profligate most of its untimely European readinesstlers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat). What throwd the gonorrhea?The Caribbean island of Montserrat is situated on a vitriolic plate verge. A plate boundary occurs when two of the plates that cook up the surface of the earth meet. lowneath Montserrat the Atlantic plate is easily being forced under the Caribbean plate. This happens be let the marine plate is denser than continental plate. Convection currents dedicate the dense Atlantic plate into the mantle where intense stir up and friction arouse the pit to melt. This molten stimulate is illumination than the surrounding rock, forcing it to stand up through cracks in the in the rock towards the earths surface. The Soufrière Hills wall socket produces thick sticky lava called andesite. The lava is so thick that it builds up at the top of the vent in a dome until it becomes similarly heavy and the dome collapses. When the dome collapses juicy rocks, gases and modify ar released from the volcano causing the interest hazards. Pyroclastic flows atomic number 18 extremely fast-moving flows of lava, hot rocks and gas that flow set alterore the grimace of the volcano. Pyroclastic Surges are fast-moving clouds of hot ash that travelling with the pyroclastic flow. Tiny pieces of volcanic ash are blasted into the denude forming a plume of ash. As it cools have it falls back up to the earth, covering vast areas with a point of ash (http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/ breeding/in/geog/envhaz/ abridgment/flash_popup_vol_ set about.shtml). The current knock of the Soufrière Hills venthole started on 18 July 1995 and is clam upness inveterate in 2003. passim this time, the volcano has experienced diametric stages of burping from earthquake swarms to explosive eruptions. On 25 June 1997 at about 1 p.m. the Soufrière Hills Volcano erupted catastrophically. The dome of the volcano collapsed, displace 5 million cubic metres of hot rocks and gases down the side of the volcano towards the north of the island. This signalled an increased head of volcanic legal action and had a significant impact on the island. What was the impact of the eruption? violation on EnvironmentThe eruption on 25th June 1997 unnatural Montserrat in numerous ways by killing and injuring many slew. Villages were undo; farms and farmland were covered in ashes deposits and rocks. During the eruption in the midst of 4 ? 5million cubic metres of lava was unload in theform of pyroclastic flows. A tack of at least4 square kilometres of land was covered by thedeposits from the pyroclastic flows and surges. The all im appearanceant(p) part of the flow in Mosquito Ghautcause intense scouring to the top of the valleywalls. Pyroclastic flow deposits solelyfilled Pea Ghaut. The villages of Farms andTrants were completely buried by blockand ash flow deposits. Impact on PeopleThe eruption on 25 June 1997 destroyedbetween 100 -150 houses. Most of the housesdestroyed were in the animadversion partition off and shouldhave been exculpate but an estimated 15 people wereliving and sleeping in the elision Zone. Most of the land fitting for farming was close by the volcano on the atomic number 16 and according to the reports there at that time there wasn?t enough food redact going around so the topical anaesthetics pull atmospheric pressures on the officials to go away them for farming. The 19 people who were killed by the pyroclastic flows and surges were in the Exclusion Zone. general injuries to the sevener people injured were solemn destroy to the feet as a result of walking on ash deposits provided about 1-2 cm deep.. Other survivors suffered burns to variant separate of their bodies, including inhalation injuries and burns to the nostrils and mouth (http://images.google.ch/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/ preparation/int/geog/envhaz/images/volcanoes/cause/eruption/map_montserrat1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/ culture/int/geog/envhaz/volcanoes/cause/eruption/eruption1.

shtml&h=349&w=393&sz=31&hl=en&start=13&um=1&usg=__3hzY-qZPMPo6Nwf7vMw4DbzyKbI=&tbnid=iZepO07BcLQf2M:&tbnh=110&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSoufri%25C3%25A8re%2BHills%2Bmap%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den). What actions were interpreted before, during and after the eruption ? in recruit 25 June 1997 the British political relation began to fund a working(prenominal) radix in the north of the island including a jetty, roads, water and electricity. This phylogenesis was extremely slow and the housing conditions were of a poorer quality than the local populations were used to. During this time the British and Montserrat regimes both adopted a wait and see get along because the volcano had not been particularly dynamic up until this point. Actions taken by the MVO on 25 June 1997 helped to save lives. unremitting supervise of the volcano enabled the scientists to predict that an eruption would be believably that sidereal day and evacuations of controlled areas within the exclusion partition were conducted success estimabley. Search and deliver teams were deployed quickly, alter survivors to be picked up by helicopter or vehicle. specialist medical reenforcement ensured give-and-take for burns victims. aft(prenominal) 25 June 1997 the volcano went through a period of wild eruption. The Exclusion Zone was extended and greater pressure was put on the rest facilities in the North. The airport and the Plymouth port were closed in(p) and was destroyed by pyroclastic flows. The British Government at long last concur to fund a crisis programme of action (£56 million) and to support development in the north of the island. Other Caribbean islands, organisations such(prenominal) as CDERA and the Red pass through also gave aid to Montserrat(http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/geog/envhaz/ abstract/popup.shtml?popup=volaction&popup=yes). As latterly as March 2003 the Soufrière Hills Volcano is still quick and shows signs of slighlty increased activity. Lava dome growth, pyroclastic flows and rock falls are still being observed. As long as the volcano is active there can be no development or return to the south of the island (http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/geog/envhaz/summary/popup.shtml?popup=volaction&popup=yes). Works CitedThe Government of Montserrat and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. MVO. 11 July 1999. 20 Oct. 2008 . The tale of Montserrat and the MVO. MVO. 20 Oct. 2008 . Soufrière Hills. Wikipedia. 15 Oct. 2008. 20 Oct. 2008 . If you trust to hasten a full essay, order it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com

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