1 9 ‘To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of volcanic hazards?’(40 marks)

To what extent can preparedness and planning mitigate the effects of a volcanic hazard (40 marks)

Assess the extent to which primary rather than secondary impacts are the more serious effects arising from volcanic eruptions. (30 marks)

A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat tolife, health, property or environment. The level of hazard posed by different volcanoes can very greatly, from a weak eruption with minimal impact that causes little damage, to a voilent and life threatening explosion. Most of the sixty-plus volcanoes that erupt each year are low risk, however a combination of factors can cause a volcano to be a serious hazard. The factors causing these variations will be explained in this essay.

The volcanoes are located where there is a divergence or convergence in the tectonic plates and bring their lava from the deepest of the terrestrial mantle. The materials and explosions of these ginates represent a constant risk in the places inhabited by the human being, nevertheless the people ususually live in these areas no matter the risk. On the other hand the volcanos can change the geology of an impressive form, or to cool the temperature of the earth, or to darken the sky. The scientific community increases its efforts to try to understand better what happens in volcanoes, however it is impossible to predict these conditions.

Volcanoes are one of the most destructive, yet, most beautiful things on Earth. They can make a famous city choke in its own ashes in one day, like Pompeii. Or they can turn a once damaging mountain into a graceful and peaceful home for new life, like Mount St. Helen’s. All volcanoes are unique, and no two are the same. Some erupt differently than others, some look different than others, and all are located in different spots all over the world. I learned this while completing the project and the five volcanoes I researched are examples of my discoveries. The five volcanoes I researched were Mount Hood, Mount Mageik, Long Island, Mount Muria, and Las Pilas.

Volcanos are beautiful yet discursive. They may have different effects on towns but some are similar, and some are different. Some may have an effect on both people and cities and the people's mindsets may change on their beloved homes.

Analyse the factors that causes differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40 marks)

A few kilometers from the city of Mexico is the Popocatepetl volcano. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the territory of Mexico. That has had approximately fifteen explosions since 1519. The authorities of Mexico designed the volcano warning light of Popocatepetl. It is important to be prepared in case of an eruption. Residents living near the volcano should ask scientists how to be prepared in case of an eruption. What does it mean the volcanic alert traffic light? Where are the closest shelters? What do I need to have ready to take with me?

Another human factor is the earthquake mitigation through education and community awareness. Schemes such as the one in Sichuan, China helped to save thousands of lives. The weekly intervals of training in case of an earthquake, educated children and adults of what to do when the quake struck. Evacuation schemes such as the window slides or hiding under tables was reported to have saved thousands when the magnitude 8.0 hit the area in 2008. However, some were not saved due to their unwillingness to move and evacuate the area. Some people of the village, notably the poorer and elderly refused to leave as they didn’t want to leave all they owned behind.

In these eruptions, instead of the mixture of gas and ash flowing upwards, it flows outwards and hugs the ground. These eruptions are extremely dangerous.

Volcanic eruptions are a constant issue. There are around 50 -70 eruptions every year with some volcanoes erupting more than once. Around 35 people die every year from volcanic eruptions along with an average cost of damage of 98,992,000. I believe that with a little math that these numbers can go down. Issues with volcano causing so much death is more of the debris that comes out of it if we could estimate the distant that this debris could travel then we would simply need to change the areas that we build cities and how far we would need to evacuate in a sudden emergency. This will include the ideas of projectile motion, angular projectile motion, Geometrical estimations. For this example, I will be using the volcano Mount Vesuvius. This volcano is known best for the destruction of Pompeii and villages that surrounded it. This eruption works the best due to the easily known eruption and the easily measurable distances from Pompeii to the center of Mount Vesuvius.

Actions taken to minimize adverse impact of disasters. These including structural measures like building of flood defences and non-structural measures like training etcetera. Public awareness related to disaster risk reduction, contribute in promoting a "culture of prevention" by changing attitudes. It revolves around civil institutions responsible to prevent disasters.

Volcanoes release volcanic hazards that may cause the life of human kind to be in danger. These volcanic hazards are Pyroclastic Density Currents (pyroclastic flows and surges), Lahars, Structural Collapse: Debris flow-Avalanches, Dome Collapse and the formation of pyroclastic flows and surges, Lava flows, Tephra fall and ballistic projectiles, volcanic gas, Tsunamis and Volcanic Lightning

Over the past few decades, the significance, magnitude and consequence of risk management and communication have been brought before the world over and over again in a number of situations related to health, terrorist activities, natural disasters etc. When one turns the pages of history, it is rather obvious that lack of planning and absence of resources due to unpreparedness makes it difficult for the concerned authorities to manage an emergency or epidemic a problematic and traumatic task. The chaotic situations can turn out to be more nerve-racking and tense when preparations are not made before hand (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2002).

Warning signs of a volcanic eruption can occur up to a month before the eruption itself occurs. These may include earthquakes, cracks in the earth around the base of the mountain, and even the depletion of water in springs and streams. All of these signs, and more, were present up to two weeks before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which began on August 24, AD 79, and covered an estimated 16,000 citizens of Pompeii in more than 25 meters of volcanic ash. The result of this event seemingly could have been avoided, yet this is still considered to be “one of the most catastrophic and infamous eruptions in European history”(Deen 25).