VOLCANIC ERUPTION - MONSERRAT

Montserrat is a small island in the Caribbean = 12 miles long and 7 miles wide.

It is known as the “Emerald Island” and attracts the rich and famous (e.g. Sir Paul McCartney and Sting However, most of the population are poor and rely on subsistence farming. Before the eruption 12000 people lived on the island, 50% of which lived in the capital, Plymouth.

The cause of the eruption Montserrat is situated on a plate boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the North Atlantic Plate. These are DESTRUCTIVE plate boundaries ^*#{}#*^ SHOW tom, tom.acs, 66, 68 PLAY Wave PLAY LookUp SAY We believe that friction between the plates is melting sections of the crust and upper mantle layer.^PAUSE=1300^ PLAY GestureUp SAY Giant globules of molten rock or magma melt there way to the surface forcing up the Cascade Volcanoes. ^PAUSE=1300^ PLAY LookLeft SAY The geologist think there are hot spots along the plate boundary which create the Cascade chain.^PAUSE=1300^ PLAY Think END North Atlantic Plate (oceanic) Caribbean Plate

BACKGROUND TO THE 1997 ERUPTION July 1995 - the volcano erupted for the 1st time in over 350 years 50% of the population were evacuated to the north of the island. By April 1996 – Plymouth was like a ghost town as more people were evacuated due to the eruptions which became more explosive

The eruptions became more and more explosive with lava and ash being ejected from the volcano WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP ON THE FROG WEBSITE