Volcanic Hazard Depend Primarily on Physical Factors? Discuss.
Volcanic hazard depend primarily on physical factors? Discuss.
Volcanic eruptions happen all across the surface of the globe, many argue that if controlled and monitored they would have little effect on the population. However others argue that some volcanic events are too powerful or unpredictable to control.
Firstly I do not agree with this view I believe it is more to do with the human decisions that make a volcanic eruption a hazard. For example we can see this in such volcanic events such as Mount Pelée which erupted in 1902. In the town of St Pierre there was early warning or an eruption from the volcano. From mid-April animals in the area started dying from poisonous gas realised from the volcano. In early may more signs where showing to an eruption in the near future this made the inhabitants of the town nervous and some moving out to a safe distance from the volcano. However there was an election due to take place on the 10th May so the current governor did not want the population spread across the island, he decided to call in the army to keep people in the town and stop them leaving. On the 8th may the pressure became too much and caused an gas explosion which lead to a pyroclastic flow moving at 200kmph heading toward the town of St Pierre killing all but 2 of the 29,000 inhabitants. This shows how human decision coursed unnecessary death. I believe that if the evacuation took place when the early warning where recognised that the loss of life would have been kept down to smaller number.
It can be argue that there is always a risk when people decided to build towns or villages on the slopes of a volcano, a good example of this is Nevado Del Ruiz eruption in the country of Colombia in mid-19th century lahars killed 1000 people in the town of Amero however the village was once again inhabited. In early November 1985 there was activity from the volcano showing signs of an eruption in the near future. However many inhabitants did not have the knowledge
Volcanic eruptions happen all across the surface of the globe, many argue that if controlled and monitored they would have little effect on the population. However others argue that some volcanic events are too powerful or unpredictable to control.
Firstly I do not agree with this view I believe it is more to do with the human decisions that make a volcanic eruption a hazard. For example we can see this in such volcanic events such as Mount Pelée which erupted in 1902. In the town of St Pierre there was early warning or an eruption from the volcano. From mid-April animals in the area started dying from poisonous gas realised from the volcano. In early may more signs where showing to an eruption in the near future this made the inhabitants of the town nervous and some moving out to a safe distance from the volcano. However there was an election due to take place on the 10th May so the current governor did not want the population spread across the island, he decided to call in the army to keep people in the town and stop them leaving. On the 8th may the pressure became too much and caused an gas explosion which lead to a pyroclastic flow moving at 200kmph heading toward the town of St Pierre killing all but 2 of the 29,000 inhabitants. This shows how human decision coursed unnecessary death. I believe that if the evacuation took place when the early warning where recognised that the loss of life would have been kept down to smaller number.
It can be argue that there is always a risk when people decided to build towns or villages on the slopes of a volcano, a good example of this is Nevado Del Ruiz eruption in the country of Colombia in mid-19th century lahars killed 1000 people in the town of Amero however the village was once again inhabited. In early November 1985 there was activity from the volcano showing signs of an eruption in the near future. However many inhabitants did not have the knowledge