Montserrat – building a case study

Learning objectives To build on previous knowledge to create a detailed case study for the island of Montserrat To understand the causes, effects and responses of the eruption in 1997 TO prepare for a GCSE style exam question

So where is Montserrat? Complete this sentence: Montserrat is an island in the… It is near other islands such as…

In the Caribbean 50 miles South West of Antigua.

We’ll start by investigating it’s location. Where is it? What Island chain is it in? Latitude and Longitude? How far from and in what direction from other islands and famous cities?

Background: Montserrat is a tiny island in the Caribbean measuring only 12 km N- S and 8 km E-W (100 km2) Until 1995, very much an ‘island paradise’ (and some parts still are) with an economy based on farming, fishing and tourism. Relatively poor LEDC with average household income of around £2,800 a year. Montserrat is classed as a ‘British Overseas Territory’, originally occupied by Irish settlers in 1632. It has its own government but the official head of state is The Queen and it retains strong links to the UK.

Now we’ll continue by investigating the cause. You’ll need to use your knowledge of plate Boundaries. Page 117 will help.

Name the type of plate boundary closest to Montserrat? Destructive or subduction (Caribbean Plate and North American Plate are pushing towards each other).

What was the cause of the Montserrat Volcano? Why is there a large amount of Volcanic activity in this area?

What was the cause of the Montserrat Volcano? 1. This a destructive (Subduction) Plate boundary. The South American plate is forced below the Caribbean plate. The plate are being dragged along by the convection currents in the mantle. 2. The denser ocean plate/ crust is forced down under the less dense continental plate/crust. 4. The hot magma tries to rise to the surface through weaknesses in the continental plate. When it does, it creates a volcano such as Soufriere Hills in Montserrat. Caribbean plate South American plate 3. Friction from the movement creates heat and as the ocean crust moves down, it melts forming molten magma.

Destructive Plate Boundary From geog1

Causes: Montserrat lies on a plate boundary where the North and South American plates are sliding beneath the Caribbean Plate. This is a destructive plate boundary or subduction zone. As the North and South American plates get dragged down into the mantle, the very high temperatures cause the crust to melt, forming a vast underground magma chamber. This magma rises to the surface to form a chain of volcanic islands, Montserrat being one of these. The main volcano on the island is Mount Soufriere, a composite volcano (alternating layers of ash and lava = violent eruptions). Until 1995, the volcano had lain dormant for around 100 years.

Causes: Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary where the North and South American plates are sliding beneath the Caribbean Plate (= subduction zone). The very high temperatures in the mantle cause the crust to melt, forming a vast chamber of magma which rises to the surface to form a chain of volcanic islands, the island of Montserrat being one of these.

Explain the causes of the tectonic activity on Montserrat (4) Caribbean Plate and North American plate are pushing towards each other. One plate falls below the other and melts into a subduction zone (destructive plate boundary) Pressure builds up and is released suddenly Magma and volcanic ash explodes out of the volcano violently Magma on a destructive plate boundary is sticky due to a high silica content Therefore much damage is caused to the surrounding area

Now record what you have found out. You’ll need to use your knowledge of plate Boundaries. Page 117 will help. You can use a labeled diagram.

What happened leading up to the eruption of the Volcano Soufriere hill? What events and signs were there, that the people of Montserrat were in danger and the Volcano was soon going to erupt?

Timeline of events: 1992-1994 Swarms of microquakes are detected under Mount Soufriere. Jul 1995 Eruptions of ash and steam. People are encouraged to evacuate the south of the island as a precaution. Dec A bulging lava dome appears in the crater at the top of the mountain. The capital, Plymouth is evacuated. Jan 1996 The volcano enters a quiet phase and residents are allowed to return to their homes Mar-Sep A return to volcanic activity, including the first of many pyroclastic flows. All people ordered out of the south of the island. Jun 1997 A devastating eruption occurs, killing 19 people who had returned to their homes in the danger zone. Plymouth is completely destroyed. July The compulsory exclusion zone is expanded and camps are set up in the north of the island. The government grants powers to forcibly remove people. 5,000 now settled in temporary camps. Sep-Dec Eruptions of volcanic gases (mainly sulphur dioxide), ash and pyroclastic flows continue on a regular basis. 1998 onwards Ongoing monitoring of the volcano from the monitoring station. Eruptions of ash and gases continue, plus lahars following heavy rains.

Notes from Video Watch and use following video to investigate the causes, effects and responses to the eruption. Add detail to your table. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBQk2dzo9yM The Cause The effects The response  

Notes from Website Using the following website to investigate the causes, effects and responses to the eruption. Add detail to your table. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/geog/envhaz/flash/volcanoes/volcano_intro.swf The Cause The effects The response   Use the Website to add detail to your bookelet about the causes of, effects of and responses to the volcano.

Notes from Website Using the following website to investigate the causes, effects and responses to the eruption. Add detail to your table. http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/int/geog/envhaz/flash/volcanoes/volcano_intro.swf The Cause The effects The response  

The causes, effects and solutions On your sheet there are a total of 28 cards showing the causes, effects and solutions to the Montserrat eruption. There are also 7 blank for you to fill in. Categorise the cards into cause, effects and solutions. This can be done by colour coding. Once you have sorted all the effects, now decide by adding a letter S, E or E which of them are social, economic and environmental. Prioritise which effect created the biggest problem for the island and explain your choice. (Level 5) Ext: Take out the solutions and decide which of these is the most helpful to the island and explain why.

CAUSE, EFFECT, RESPONSE? Towns are slowing being rebuilt now. Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary Rivers flooded because they were blocked by ash. The port and airport were closed, badly affecting the tourist industry. Other industries suffered with port and airport closures. Pressure increases, which triggers an earthquake. Heat produced by friction melts the descending crust to form molten magma. Nineteen people died and two-thirds of this island was covered in ash. Being overseas British territory £41 million pounds in aid was donated by the British. The country was forced to rely on aid from the UK. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory was set up to monitor the volcano. The tourist industry is slowly picking up again as a result of having an active volcano. The hot magma tries to rise to the surface, and when it succeeds it will form a volcano. Between 1995 and 1997 this volcano erupted huge quantities of lava, ash and pyroclastic flows. Access to the one hospital on the island was disrupted, having knock effects to health care Half of the population were evacuated to the north of the island. Half of the population left the island. Money was given to individuals to move away from the effected area. Fires were caused in forests by volcanic gases igniting. Many homes had been destroyed from the falling ash and lava flows from the volcano. Plymouth, the capital became an abandoned ‘ghost town’. Crops and animals were destroyed by layers of volcanic ash, meaning there was a loss of money as the farmers could not sell . The oceanic plate is forced down (subduction) under the continental plate. A risk assessment was undertaken to help the locals to prepare for future eruptions. Some who fled are starting to trickle back to the island. Lava flow destroyed the surrounding plants and animal’s habitats as it snaked down the side of the volcano Ash from the volcano settled in the nearby oceans and destroyed marine habitats. New roads and other infrastructure like electricity and water supply, as well as farmland regeneration were set as a priorities, CAUSE, EFFECT, RESPONSE?

Describe the impact of the eruption on the land and occupations of the people of Montserrat (6) Much land destroyed by volcanic ash and lava Farmland, forests, houses, places of work (including industries, port and airport) destroyed People could not farm land for money Jobs available in building and construction to house the homeless people and to build roads and services Hospital destroyed, so no medical care on island until it was rebuilt Economy in ruins after all industries destroyed, meaning little money for people to rebuild and spend on local services Aid was needed

Effects of volcanoes NEGATIVE POSITIVE

Positive v negative A. Beautiful landscape B. Tourism C. Transport systems blocked D. People and animals lose their lives G. Buildings destroyed E. Money for the economy F. Crops ruined H. Fertile land I. Jobs J. Better communication systems K. Forest fires L. Geothermal energy

What are the arguments for and against people staying on Montserrat Stay with family and friends Elderly people unable to leave island Strong community spirit as working together to re-build Over time land will become fertile again Against Volcano could erupt again Land will not be fertile enough to farm again for a long time People living in make shift shelters – no jobs, no homes, no medical care

Case study cube pictures

Montserrat today: 2011 census recorded a population of 5,100 – less than half what it was before the eruption but 3x what it had fallen to by 2001. Aim is to restore the population eventually to 10,000. Some emigrants have returned to slowly rebuild their lives and the island economy. Tourism has recovered well (‘volcano tourism’). Income from tourism more than £12m last year. Severe skills shortage (‘brain drain’) and fears of over- reliance on handouts from UK. Ongoing monitoring of the potential for more eruptions.