b) Explain why the Philippines and California multiple hazard hotspots are effected by disasters in different ways

There are a number of reasons why some places are more at risk of experiencing a major volcanic disaster. One reason is their geographical position within the world and in relation to tectonic plate boundaries. For example you have highly destructive and explosive volcanoes often found along destructive plate boundaries because of increased pressure within the subduction zone. An example of this is the Philippines, which is situated above a destructive plate boundary and this leads to numerous and highly destructive volcanic eruptions. You also find volcanoes along constructive plate boundaries where the plates are moving apart and this is creating new lands and volcanoes as molten lava builds up, an example of this is the Mid-Atlantic ridge which Iceland sits near.

Figure 7 also shows us that there is a high level of volcanic activity within the pacific ring of fire, this is because of the high amount of destructive and constructive plate boundaries within this area and this causes major volcanic disasters. Some places, like the United Kingdom, are not at risk of a major volcanic disaster because it is not located near a volcano hotspot, or a destructive plate boundary. Other reasons why some places are more at risk than others is because of their prediction, mitigation and evacuation systems. In richer countries like the United States, they have the equipment and expertise to predict volcanic eruptions and the use of media also helps to spread the work quicker than other volcano affected places such as Indonesia. The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused only 57 deaths because of these prevention systems.