Natural Hazards Assessment By Christopher Iannuzzi

It is believed that this volcanic area was caused by a localised hot spot within the Pacific plate. A concentration of radioactive elements inside of the mantle may have caused this hot spot to develop. The hot spot is stationary so as the Pacific plate moves over it a line of volcanoes are made. This is more proof that the Earth’s crust is moving as suggested by Wegener.

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.

Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, and it is the youngest. Kilauea stands just under 4,200 feet tall above sea level at its highest point.

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.

This chamber gave birth to the cataclysmic eruption of 760,000 years ago, and is connected to the magma which erupted from the chain of rhyolite domes that stretch up to the northwest. Eruptions crept sequentially along this line, beginning with the Bishop Tuff eruption and most recently displaying activity in the middle of Mono Lake at the island Negit. This most recent volcanism of the Inyo-Mono crater eruptions occurred as late as 1850 A.D (Bailey, et. al., 1989).

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

● This was the first time this type of volcano eruption was actually witnessed and

The Earth’s outer crust is made up many tectonic plates that move over the surface of the planet. When the plates come collide, volcanoes will form sometime (National Ocean Service). Volcanoes can also form in the middle of a plate, where magma rises upward until it erupts on the sea floor, at what is called a “hot spot” (National Ocean Service). A hot spot is a plume of magma or molten rock that rises from within the Earth then reaches the surface forming underwater volcanoes which may grow tall enough to

A volcano is defined as a mountain or hill that usually has a cup like crater at the summit. A volcano can be compared to a vent in the earths crust through which lava, ashes and steam are expelled (Volcano, n.d.). There are three main types of volcanoes that scientist have discovered active, dormant, and extinct (howstuffworks.com). Active volcanoes are the ones which have erupted recently, or are expected to blow soon (howstuffworks.com). For example Kilauea volcano on Hawaii is the world’s most active volcano (volcanodiscovery.com). A dormant volcano is one that hasn’t erupted in a long while but has a chance erupt again in the future (howstuffworks.com). Best example there is of a dormant volcano is Mauna Kea which is one of the five mountains that make up the big island of Hawaii (Crain, 2009). And extinct volcanoes are the ones that erupted thousands of years ago and has no possibility of erupting again (howstuffworks.com). An extinct volcano is mount Buninyong which is located in Austria the last time this volcano erupted was a little over ten centuries ago and is now somewhat a tourist attraction.

The eruption of Novarupta in June 1912 left the nearby Alaskan town of Kodiak covered in such thick ash that natives couldn't see a lantern held at arms length (“Mysteries of Canada”). Volcanic eruptions like Novarupta are immensely dangerous and detrimental if populated areas are close. Luckily, this eruption was in a secluded area that was miles away from nearby cities, so it did not cause chaos, but the outcome could have been copiously worse. What was the cause of the seemingly precipitous Novarupta eruption?

The island of Montserrat is situated upon an underwater volcano created by a destructive plate boundary, with the volcanos peak protruding from the south side of the island by the name of Chances Peak in an area entitled Soufriere Hills (in the Caribbean). For 350 years the volcano had remained dormant; however a few weeks ago, Chances Peak became active again and began to emit dust and ash – warning signs that an eruption was almost imminent. On July 20th 1995 (yesterday) the anticipated eruption occurred, producing numerous quandaries for the surviving residents of Montserrat.

As the eruption wore on, it later produced a phase with red hot pyroclastic surges and flows, along with other volcanic material. This was referred to as the “Peléan” phase. These type of eruptions are known for the mentioned pyroclastic flows, along with hot mud surges. (Universe today) This phase was speculated to have begun during the latter part of the eruption, and is largely regarded as the main killer of most of the surrounding inhabitants. (Museum timeline)

Mount saint luna- This landform is a volcano and is located south of one of the cities called ecli. The people of Ecli thought it was a second mountain. They didn’t think one minute ahead once the volcano erupted.

This is only a general overview of the inner workings of volcanoes and their eruptions. For more infomation, visit Volcano World -- The Premier Source of Volcano Info on the Web.