Name a MEDC volcanic eruption
Mt St Helens eruption of 1980
When did this MEDC volcanic eruption occur?
May 18th 1980 (date of actual explosion)
Give 4 causes of this MEDC volcanic eruption
- A few large earthquakes due to movement of magma (47 on March 25th alone)
- Wasn’t expected to erupt as it hadn’t erupted erupted for years
- Dormant/inactive volcano
- Huge 100m high bulge grew on the side of mountain
Give 8 impacts of this MEDC volcanic eruption
- Landslide
- 9 hour eruption
- 57 deaths
- Toutle river closed due to ash as well as 650miles covered
- Ash bellowed up to 12 miles high and reached depths of 2ft on the ground
- All the surrounding landscape was destroyed with 7000 forest animals, 12 million salmon were killed
- Mountain became 365m lower
- $175milliion ash damage
Give 6 immediate responses to this MEDC volcanic eruption
- Warnings
- Added additional monitors around the mountain at first sings of activity
- Mobilising helicopters for search and rescue
- Rescue survivors and emergency treatments
- Clearing ash to allow traffic to flow - done within 3 days of the eruption
- 2 million extra masks sent by US president Carter
Give 6 long-term responses to this MEDC volcanic eruption
- Rebuilding bridges, roads and buildings (North Road opened in 1990)
- Drainage area had to be monitored for flooding from all the debris
- Fallen timber removal and replanting of forest
- Built 5 visitor centres in national monument
- 45,400 acres of land where trees were planted
- sediment retention dam
Name a LEDC volcanic eruption
Mt Nyiragongo 2002
When did this LEDC volcanic eruption occur?
17th January 2002 - largest eruption of Southern side of the mountain
Give 3 causes of this LEDC volcanic eruption
- Central Africa is at a constructive plate boundary
- Two parts of the African plate pull apart
- Several earthquakes (5.0) damaged buildings
Give 8 impacts of this lEDC volcanic eruption
- 147 people died from gas, fumes and trapped in lava while thousands were left injured
- 40% of Goma destroyed, 1200m of airport runway and hospitals
- power and water supplies cut off
- 12500 homes destroyed
- 120,000 people left homeless
- 350,000 people evacuated
- Abandoned buildings were looted
- Lake Kivu was polluted by lava and contaminated water supplies which increased the lake temperature, killing aquatic life
Give 8 responses to this LEDC volcanic eruption
- Red alert before eruption –> full evacuation
- UN sent aid to assist the homeless, including 260 tonnes of food e.g. biscuits, maize, beans and cooking oils in week 1
- Oxfam set up camps to shelter people and provide clean water + sanitation
- Aid cost $15million
- UK disasters emergency committee appealed for donations
- World Health Organisation gave emergency vaccinations
- World government donated $35million to help rebuild Goma
- UN = one year recovery programme with $4.9million budget spent on shelter through resettlement
Name a supervolcano
Yellowstone, North America
Where is this supervolcano?
North America, covering parts of 3 states but mainly in Wyoming
How big is this supervolcano?
Magma chamber beneath yellowstone is 80km long, 40km wide and 8km deep
Give 8 potential effects of an eruption of this supervolcano
- Likely destroy 10,000km2 land
- Kill 87,000 people (1/3 of people affected would die and 90% of people within 1000km would die)
- Ash would travel to Europe and the UK after 5 days
- 15cm of ash would cover buildings within 1000km
- Ash would kill and sicken humans and wildlife
- Contaminate water supplies
- 3/4 of US would be affected
- Global average temperatures would drop by 10 degrees C (lasting 6-10 years)
