Case Study :: Montserrat

Chances Peak, Montserrat

The volcanic island of Monserrat is located in the Caribbean and is part of a group of islands known as the Lesser Antilles. The country is classed as an LIC (low-income country) with a GDP per capita of $3,400 compared to the UK's GDP per capita of $38,920. The plate boundary where it is situated is known as a destructive plate boundary. This means that two tectonic plates are colliding and that one is sub-ducting under the other. The melting of this sub-ducting plate causes magma to reach the surface in the form of a volcano. At this particular boundary the Atlantic plate is sub-ducting under the Caribbean plate. The volcano here is classified as a composite volcano and so has been built up in layers of cooled ash and magma from previous eruptions. We know that there had not been an eruption in Montserrat for over 500 years and so pressures and tension would have built up. These pressures were released firstly in July 1995. The volcano then catastrophically erupted in April 1997 and the island was at risk of pyroclastic flows and large quantities of ash. 

Montserrat is only 16km long and 10km wide. It was previously home to 12,000 inhabitants, now only 5,000 remain. Many of the young residents chose to stay away when evacuated in April 1996 and this lead to a top heavy population in Montserrat. Many inhabitants moved to parts of America, Antigua and the UK as Montserrat is a British colony. The entire population was forced to move out of the then capital Plymouth as this area was located South-West of the volcano - a prime target for pyroclastic flows. Indeed the south of Montserrat was the worst affected after 1997 and so this preparation method proved successful. 

When the dome of Chances Peak collapsed, millions of cubic metres of ash, tephra and gases ran down the sides of the Soufriere Hills (hills where the volcano was situated). The south of the Island was covered (in some areas of up to 10m) in ash, smothering precious farmland and destroying peoples livelihoods. 

Previous eruptions had left fertile soil behind for the people of Montserrat to farm. An impact of the 1997 eruption was the loss of this farmland thus questioning what would families who remained there do without this land. Since the last eruption was centuries ago, nobody who had experienced the power of the volcano then was alive to help locals deal with the situation. Many thought the volcano was extinct because of the lack of activity and so little attention had been paid to this small island.

In the 500 years since the last eruption the island had been colonised by beautiful woodland and tropical vegetation, making for an attractive site for the rich and famous. Luxurious villas and hotels were home to musicians such as Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones. Now however, similar villas can be purchased to the North of the island at around a third of their previous price. 

Other impacts of the 1997 eruption included the immediate death of 19 people who were killed in fires as a result of heated pyroclastic flows. There were also a number of burn and inhalation injuries reported and two thirds of houses were covered by ash or destroyed by rock fall. Infrastructure was destroyed along with the capital of Plymouth. The airport and port in Plymouth were closed and valleys became blocked with ash.

The Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) was established in 1995 after it was decided that the volcano was not extinct as previously thought. Scientists here are from the British Geological Survey and the University of the West Indes. This seismic research unit has responsibility for all seismic and volcanic activity in English-speaking eastern Caribbean countries. Ground movements due to magma moving beneath the ground are detected using laser beams and GPS, local earthquakes and dome collapses in addition. Topography of the volcano is frequently re-drawn in order to figure out rate of growth of the volcano. Gas samples are also taken from hot springs surrounding the area in also via Correlation Spectrometers. This centre saved thousands of lives as it successfully predicted the large eruption of 1997. 

Responses to the 1997 eruption included the set up of temporary schools and shelters by the Red Cross. Medical support and food were provided by this NGO and £17m was given in aid from the UK government to pay for water purification systems and building construction. Troops from the British navy and USA came to assist the evacuation process and extra warning systems were set up to contact inhabitants of the volcano's state. 

In the long term, a redevelopment programme to help with the rebuilding of houses, schools, medical centres, infrastructure and agriculture was funded with help from the UK. Plymouth remains an exclusion zone and approximately 5500 people currently live on the island. The island is trying to establish a capital at Little Bay in the North of the island.

Montserrat August 2012 :: useful to see what the island is like in the Plymouth area

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVPo6EM3FKU




Pictures located from ::
www.bgs.ac.uk
www.montserratvolcano.org
www.emeraldtrendsetters.org