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Montserrat

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Montserrat:

Causes:

Montserrat (Chances Peak) is situated on a Destructive plate boundary, (an Oceanic/Continental plate boundary). One of which, (Oceanic North American plate) subducts beneath the Continental plate of the Caribbean. The cause of the extreme effects of the eruption that occurred on the 25th of June 1997 at Chances Peak was due to the catastrophic thick and sticky lava (also referred to as Andesite) which generated a heavy dome that eventually collapsed, consequently, 5 million cubic meters of hot rocks and gases were launched down the side of the volcano towards the north of the island.

 Likewise, the pyroclastic flows endangered many surroundings areas and people.

Effects:

  • An exclusion zone was made (which, had took the lives of 19 people in 1995)

  • Air transportation was affected because of the ash clouds polluting the area

  • The villages Farm and Trant were buried in ash

  • 100-150 homes were caught ablaze because the lava had spread

  • Environmental impacts – Death of plants and animals

Responses:

  • Short-term: 11,000 evacuees, (UK took in 4000 evacuees)

  • USA sent troops to help evacuees

  • UK sent 17 million of emergency aid and services, (including temporary shelters and water purification systems)

  • Red Cross set up temporary schools

  • Medium-Term: Some of the vegetation grew on the Southern part of the island

  • Long-Term: 10 years later South of the islands are still remained out of bounds (2005)

  • People evacuated to the North of the island and other countries, by the 11/97, population was 3500

 

 

 

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