Montserrat

• Montserrat background

  • 1995 - present
  • island has mostly composite volcanoes
  • lava domes domes have been created due to viscous, silica rich lava building up at the top of the volcanoes
• Montserrat primary impacts

  • 2/3 of island became covered in ash
  • air polluted the air increasing breathing problems
  • forest fires due to pyroclastic flows
  • death of 19 people
  • only airport completely destroyed
  • people suffered severe burns
  • 7000 people received mandatory evacuation orders
  • Plymouth was buried under 12m of volcanic material
  • lava flows created new landforms
• Montserrat secondary impacts

  • tourism and farming industries destroyed
  • 1 year of failed harvest due to ash covering crops
  • visitors could only come by cruise ships
  • acid rain destroyed vegetation and polluted lakes and rivers which killed animals
  • 1/2 population left island
  • prolonged power outages and difficulty restoring basic services
  • population declined significantly as many people didn't return
• Montserrat long term responses

  • MVO (observatory) was set up to monitor volcano and predict future eruptions
  • £41 million donated by British government to help rebuild and recover industries
  • £24 given to individual families
  • thousands of new homes built for remaining residents
  • riots broke out as UK was beleived to not be doing enough
• Montserrat short term responses

  • exclusion and restriction zones set up
  • Red cross set up temporary schools and provided medical support and food
  • warning systems - sirens, speaker and media
  • troops from USA and British Navy aided evacuation process
  • £17 million UK aid paid for temporary buildings and water purification systems
  • 50% of population evacuated to North of the island into temporary shelters
• Montserrat causes

  • destructive plate boundary so two plates will converge due to the descending limbs of convection cell currents
  • oceanic plate is forced down which causes pressure triggering earthquakes
  • heat from friction melts descending crust to form molten magma
  • magma is forced upwards to create chances peak