MONSTERRAT VOLCANO
MONTSERRAT VOLCANO REPORT
Montserrat is a small island is in the Caribbean. It is only 12 miles long and 7 miles wide.
It is known as the 'Emerald Island' Because of its mountainous and wooded terrain. It has attracted many rich people to the island and was famous for rock stars recording there.
However, much of the population are poor and rely on farming to survive. Before the eruptions from 1995 onwards – There was over 12000 people living there, but now there is only about 5000.
CAUSES OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY AT MONTSERRAT
Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary. When the two plates merge – the oceanic plate is subducted under the continental one. As it is forced down there is an increase in pressure and friction causing small earthquakes quite often. As the crust is pushed down further into the mantle, the crust melts to form magma. Magma is constantly trying to escape the mantle and when it succeeds it can form a volcano like the one at Montserrat.
THE ERUPTIONS FROM 1995-!998
1992 - The first Earthquakes begin to appear
1995 - The volcano erupts after being dormant for 350 years
1996 - The volcano continued to erupt and became more violent causing increased damage.
1997 - Large eruptions continued with the dome collapsing and large pyroclastic flows affecting much of the island
In 1995 Soufriere Hills volcano erupted for the first time in 350 years. Just a month later half of the population were evacuated to the north of the island away from the exclusion zone.
In 1996 the eruptions continued and Plymouth became a ghost town because more and more people were evacuated
In 1997 another eruption destroyed villages in the centre of the island. Out of the islands 103sq/km only 39sq/km were considered ‘safe’.
Over 5000 people left the island to settle in nearby islands like Antigua or to move to the UK.
Those people that stayed on the island suffered very harsh
Montserrat is a small island is in the Caribbean. It is only 12 miles long and 7 miles wide.
It is known as the 'Emerald Island' Because of its mountainous and wooded terrain. It has attracted many rich people to the island and was famous for rock stars recording there.
However, much of the population are poor and rely on farming to survive. Before the eruptions from 1995 onwards – There was over 12000 people living there, but now there is only about 5000.
CAUSES OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY AT MONTSERRAT
Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary. When the two plates merge – the oceanic plate is subducted under the continental one. As it is forced down there is an increase in pressure and friction causing small earthquakes quite often. As the crust is pushed down further into the mantle, the crust melts to form magma. Magma is constantly trying to escape the mantle and when it succeeds it can form a volcano like the one at Montserrat.
THE ERUPTIONS FROM 1995-!998
1992 - The first Earthquakes begin to appear
1995 - The volcano erupts after being dormant for 350 years
1996 - The volcano continued to erupt and became more violent causing increased damage.
1997 - Large eruptions continued with the dome collapsing and large pyroclastic flows affecting much of the island
In 1995 Soufriere Hills volcano erupted for the first time in 350 years. Just a month later half of the population were evacuated to the north of the island away from the exclusion zone.
In 1996 the eruptions continued and Plymouth became a ghost town because more and more people were evacuated
In 1997 another eruption destroyed villages in the centre of the island. Out of the islands 103sq/km only 39sq/km were considered ‘safe’.
Over 5000 people left the island to settle in nearby islands like Antigua or to move to the UK.
Those people that stayed on the island suffered very harsh