The Volcanic Eruption Of Volcanoes

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.

Volcanoes can be found throughout the entire world and are formed when there is a rupture in the mantle of the Earth's crust. This effect allows the output of volcanic lava, ash, and various types of gases. These tectonic plate breaks are normal, the planet Earth is divided into 17 tectonic plates and consistently move against each other forming shifts from low to high intensity. It can cause displacement of earth or water.

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.

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

A human factor that would cause differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes is settlement, which includes where people chose to live in relation to a volcano. For example, in Indonesia many people settle near Mount Merapi because of the rich and fertile soil favoured for farming. As Indonesia is a poor country many people rely on subsistence farming, therefore are willing to risk everything by settling beside a volcano. Furthermore, in the last eruption in 2010 360,000 people were displaced from their homes, meaning not only did they lose their home but also their livelihood; hundreds also lost their lives. Therefore, the hazards posed could have been minimalised if people chose to settle elsewhere.

Some of these volcanoes are explosive, but the rest are another type of volcano. These volcanoes do not explode violently as it spews molten rock and ash into the air and land below. Rather, the lava grows to the top of the volcano to pour over the edge. A good example

Usually, many earthquakes in succession can warn of a volcanic eruption. Warning systems for volcanoes are based on the possibility of a hazard. The volcanoes are classified based upon the likeliness of an eruption. An active volcanoe is currently erupting or expected to erupt in the near future. Dormant volcanoes are inactive, but they are likely to erupt sometime in the future. An extinct volcanoe is unlikely to erupt again. Even though a volcanoe is not expected to erupt, it could suddenly become active. Volcanoes are unpredictable because almost any of these mountains could erupt again. There is no current way to ensure that a volcanoe will not erupt. To prepare for a volcanoe families should have an emergency supply kit that includes food, first aid kits, and other supplies. Also every family should have a plan to stay safe during any natural disaster. The best way to stay safe from a volcano that is likely to erupt is to evacuate (Anderson, 2012). 260,000 have died within 300 years from different volcanoes and their aftermath (National Geographic, 2016). Volcanic eruptions can be accompanied by other natural disasters including mudflows, flash floods, rock falls, acid rain, and tsunamis. Devastation from a volcanoe can stretch for hundreds of miles (Anderson, 2012). Hence, volcanoes are unpredictable disasters that everyone near a volcanoe should be prepared for, even if it is not expected to erupt

The human population is rapidly increasing and we now find ourselves living is strange and sometimes dangerous areas on this planet. One of the biggest dangers humans can face is a natural disaster. We who live in California are aware of such dangers due to the high number of earthquakes produced in this area, but one of the most intense, destructive and some might say the most frightening of the natural disasters found on this planet are volcanic eruptions. Producing multiple hazards from lava flows to falling ash, when a volcano erupts devastation is usually not far behind. Mount Rainier is an active volcano in the State of Washington that is being closely monitored by geologist and local officials due to the high risk of eruption. We can learn how to prepare for such an event by looking at past eruptions of similar volcanos types such as; the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980 in the State of Washington, the Nevado del Ruiz eruption in 1985 in Colombia, and the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991in the Philippines.

The home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, Kilauea Volcano has been erupting for the last 30 years. Since January 3, 1983, the world has stopped to look at the lava flowing out of the crevices of the crater. However, despite the meaning of the name, Kilauea in Hawaiian (which translates to “spewing” or “much spreading”), many scientists are amazed that the volcano has a continuous flow (USGS 1,2,3). Nonetheless, as the East Rift Zone spreads, Kilauea has started overflowing; and the once majestic lava now spills out of Pu’u ‘O’o Crater into nearby towns. Scientists and citizens scramble to find the answer: how do we stop a volcanic eruption from destroying nearby civilization without stopping the natural occurrence?

Volcano eruptions happen more often that you know it. They even happen in Alaska. Earlier this year a volcano in Alaska had erupted. This was Pavlof Volcano. This massive eruption had a large cloud of ash and debris more than 7 miles into the air. Pavlof Volcano is 625 miles southwest of Anchorage. Lava shooting out of the volcano was seen by many people near the area. Strong winds had also carried a lot of ash and debris throughout the interior of the state.

Volcanic eruptions result in climate change, danger to people, and can cause other natural disasters. Eruptions have major effects on the climate. The gases and particles from the eruption can shield the Earth’s atmosphere from solar

Did you know the most formidable volcanoes in the world are called Super volcanoes? These volcanoes can cause worldwide climate changes as well as releasing tons of dust and ash particles into Earth’s atmosphere. One of the biggest super volcanoes is in Yellowstone National Park, scientists say it will erupt again and soon. This means we should be spending tax dollars on research for volcanoes and earthquakes. We should spend tax dollars on research because super volcanoes may erupt again, we need to know how safe people are, and to keep our populated cities safe.

The vent is the opening through which magma leaves a volcano. Lava flow is the area covered by lava from a volcano’s vent. A crater is a the bowl shaped area that forms around the volcanoes central opening. Currently there are 600 active volcanoes on land . The volcanoes beneath the sea are difficult to observe. The Ring of Fire is a major volcanic belt formed by many volcanoes that rim the Pacific Ocean.

Did you know that at least 20 volcanoes will most likely be erupting as you read this? On land alone, there are at least a thousand identified magma systems likely to erupt in the future. Volcanoes can have beneficial effects to the the soil, environment, and even people.