Mount Ontake

• 27th September 2014


  When did it happen?
• The Pacific and Philippine plates were subducted under the Eurasian plate.


  What happened?
• - Tourist destination for climbers and trekkers

  - Place of spiritual pilgrimage


  Why is Mt Ontake important?
• - Ash fall

  - Pyroclastic flows

  - Volcanic bombs

  - Lahars


  What hazards were produced from the eruption?
• - To harness geothermal energy

  - For mineral-rich soil for farming (13% of land is used for farming)

  - Set up tourist businesses

  Why do people live there?
• 63 killed

  40 majorly injured


  How many people were killed and injured?
• - 2 seismographs were faulty but were left unfixed --> country lost confidence in the gov

  
  

  - £1 million lawsuits were brought by families of the dead against the gov


  Political impacts:
• - "bad image" of Mt Ontake led to long-term decline in tourist industry —> forced businesses to close down

  
  

  - 18 hectares of farmland damaged in Kiso and nearby villages --> 30/32 cabbage farms were damaged --> Hakusai crop most affected

  
  

  - Flights were cancelled —> people were unable to go to work

  
  

  - Ski resorts were forced to shut down


  Economic impacts:
• - 40 majorly injured —> unable to work

  
  

  - Over 500 firefighters and Japanese Self Defence Force —> recused 31 people on foot

  
  

  - 1/2 metre ash covered local area —> collected on roofs causing them to collapse under the weight


  Social impacts:
• - 1/2 metre of ash burning local forest —> plants are unable to photosynthesise and die —> loss of habitats

  
  

  - Gas and ash released reached over 3000m

  
  

  - Volcanic ash caused respiratory issues in animals of the surrounding area


  Environmental impacts:
• - Closed the airport, expressways and trains

  
  

  - School children were given hard hats in at risk areas

  
  

  - Gas masks were handed out for protection from ash and gas

  
  

  - Japanese Self Defence Force climbed the foot of the mountain and rescued 31 people


  Social short-term responses:
• - Clean up and removal of ash from farmland

  
  

  - Offered insurance payments for volcanic damage up to ¥300,000

  
  

  - Aid sent by China and USA to provide emergency care and rescue

  Economic short-term responses:
• - 200 men constructed rubber barriers to stop lava

  
  

  - Clean up teams


  Environmental short-term responses:
• - Gov sent military rescue climbers but they were 3 days delayed


  Political short-term responses:
• - Better evacuation plan if situation was to reoccur e.g. for climbers

  
  

  - Safety packs given to climbers and trekkers to reduce injury and inhalation damage if volcano was to erupt

  
  

  - Concrete bunkers were built to shelter people from falling rocks

  
  

  - Children were given hard hats and practice drills


  Social long-term responses:
• - Repair pipeline, power lines and sewage damages

  
  

  - Increase access to insurance protection companies from volcano damage with a payment of ¥10,000,000

  
  

  - Build lava diversion which costed $3 million


  Economic long-term responses:
• - Afforestation to restore damaged area

  
  

  - Monitoring of gas levels to earn of an eruption


  Environmental long-term responses:
• - Local gov will spend more money and time on monitoring the volcano —> increase funding to the Meteorological Agency

  
  

  - Hazard maps and evacuation plans commissioned


  Political long-term responses: