Case study: Volcanic eruption Montserrat 1997.
Where: Soufriere Hills, Montserrat.
Data: 4.5million m3 of material in 20 minutes. Several km2 of pyroclastic flows.
Plates: North and South American subducted under Caribbean plate.
Preparedness: Not prepared, small eruptions of ash after 300 years of dormancy.
Impacts
Social: 19 dead, 7 injured, hundreds homeless, decreased population, 2/3 didn’t
return after evacuation.
Economic: $1 billion loss, decrease in tourism, businesses destroyed.
Environmental: Plymouth covered in 12m of ash and mud, vegetation and farmland
destroyed, volcanic ash improved fertility.
Responses Success or failure?
Short- Large-scale evacuation by British navy, Plymouth Success but lucky.
term abandoned, shelters build, temporary infrastructure. UK
donated £17 million in emergency aid. Search and rescue
Long-term Risk Map was created an exclusion zone in place. South of Success.
island is off limits. Rebuilding of airport and port. UK £41
million in long-term aid. Montserrat Volcano Observatory
built to monitor volcano. Out migration to UK.
Case study: Volcanic eruption E15, 2010
Where: South coast of Iceland, along Mid-Atlantic ridge.
Data: Eruptions lasted nearly 25 days. 4 VEI. Ash distributed by high velocity jet streams above
Iceland.
Plates: North American converge away from Eurasian plate.
Preparedness: Prepared, long preparation time. High tech equipment used to predict. Efficient
warning system. Emergency services prepared.
Impacts
Social: 0 deaths. High levels of irritation. 20 farms destroyed by floods and ash.
Economic: Air travel disrupted by ash. $2 billion lost. Tourism increased.
Environmental: Flash floods, ash clouds entering engines can turn into glass due to head,
Vegetation killed by sulphur dioxide. Fluoride in ash contaminated water.
Responses Success or failure?
Short- Emergency services rapidly responded; road diverted to Success
term allow rapid flow of flash floods. Evacuation texts, warning
and procedures from community preparedness and good
mindset.
Long-term Icelanders aware of hazards and understand what to do in Success
event of eruption. Countries exporting to Europe were
affected by ash clouds. Recovery of mountain chicken
population.
Case study: Earthquake Haiti, 2010
Where: West of Dominican Republic, South of island. Port-au-Prince.
Data: Magnitude 7, 13km focus, 25km epicentre from Port-au-Prince.
Plates: North American subducted underneath Caribbean.
Preparedness: Not prepared. Buildings weren’t build with earthquakes in mind. Emergency
services not prepared as hadn’t experienced an earthquake before.
Impacts
Social: 316,000 died. 1 million homeless. 3 million affected.
Economic: Clothing industry (2/3 of exports) suffered severe damage. Port destroyed.
1 in 5 jobs lost.
Where: Soufriere Hills, Montserrat.
Data: 4.5million m3 of material in 20 minutes. Several km2 of pyroclastic flows.
Plates: North and South American subducted under Caribbean plate.
Preparedness: Not prepared, small eruptions of ash after 300 years of dormancy.
Impacts
Social: 19 dead, 7 injured, hundreds homeless, decreased population, 2/3 didn’t
return after evacuation.
Economic: $1 billion loss, decrease in tourism, businesses destroyed.
Environmental: Plymouth covered in 12m of ash and mud, vegetation and farmland
destroyed, volcanic ash improved fertility.
Responses Success or failure?
Short- Large-scale evacuation by British navy, Plymouth Success but lucky.
term abandoned, shelters build, temporary infrastructure. UK
donated £17 million in emergency aid. Search and rescue
Long-term Risk Map was created an exclusion zone in place. South of Success.
island is off limits. Rebuilding of airport and port. UK £41
million in long-term aid. Montserrat Volcano Observatory
built to monitor volcano. Out migration to UK.
Case study: Volcanic eruption E15, 2010
Where: South coast of Iceland, along Mid-Atlantic ridge.
Data: Eruptions lasted nearly 25 days. 4 VEI. Ash distributed by high velocity jet streams above
Iceland.
Plates: North American converge away from Eurasian plate.
Preparedness: Prepared, long preparation time. High tech equipment used to predict. Efficient
warning system. Emergency services prepared.
Impacts
Social: 0 deaths. High levels of irritation. 20 farms destroyed by floods and ash.
Economic: Air travel disrupted by ash. $2 billion lost. Tourism increased.
Environmental: Flash floods, ash clouds entering engines can turn into glass due to head,
Vegetation killed by sulphur dioxide. Fluoride in ash contaminated water.
Responses Success or failure?
Short- Emergency services rapidly responded; road diverted to Success
term allow rapid flow of flash floods. Evacuation texts, warning
and procedures from community preparedness and good
mindset.
Long-term Icelanders aware of hazards and understand what to do in Success
event of eruption. Countries exporting to Europe were
affected by ash clouds. Recovery of mountain chicken
population.
Case study: Earthquake Haiti, 2010
Where: West of Dominican Republic, South of island. Port-au-Prince.
Data: Magnitude 7, 13km focus, 25km epicentre from Port-au-Prince.
Plates: North American subducted underneath Caribbean.
Preparedness: Not prepared. Buildings weren’t build with earthquakes in mind. Emergency
services not prepared as hadn’t experienced an earthquake before.
Impacts
Social: 316,000 died. 1 million homeless. 3 million affected.
Economic: Clothing industry (2/3 of exports) suffered severe damage. Port destroyed.
1 in 5 jobs lost.
