Emigration from Montserrat
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Almost two-thirds of the island of Montserrat has been affected by a series of volcanic eruptions in the Soufriere hills, which began in 1995 and continues today. On June 25, 1997 twenty people were been killed û each one of whom were located within the boundaries of a governmentally designated Exclusion Zone (Department for International Development 4). A number of these deaths occurred as the airport was overtaken by the pyroclastic flow following one of the early eruptions. Cork Hill and Salem were among the many villages affected, with reports of pumice and other rock material in clumps the size of watermelons raining down upon the villages (Williams 1). As a result of the eruptions, more than half the population of Montserrat has emigrated to various places, including Antigua, Britain and the United States (Young 1). In 2003, a dome collapse deposited more ash in residential areas, making them unsafe and causing further large scale evacuations from the hot zone in the valleys below the Soufriere hills to the northern parts of the island. The Soufriere hills volcano has been continuously active since 1995, when without warning it began to erupt, blowing smoke, ash and debris from fissures in the hill region. According to Young (2003), ôThe population at the time of the first eruption was approximately 10, 000, and after a series of fluctuations has now settled at 4,500ö (Young 1). The figures for population movement vary according to aut
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s these have already occurred on the island, threatening valleys surrounding the Soufriere Hills. Heavy tephra falls can exacerbate this condition into a large volcanic landslide, which occurs when part of the edifice of a volcano becomes unstable and slides (Montserrat Volcanic Observatory 8).
The worst eventuality from a landslide for Montserrat would likely be large scale destruction of the valley areas (the most heavily populated regions) and the triggering of tidal waves. MontserratÆs abundant rainfall (around 80 inches per annum, according to Sheers (3) makes in an ideal candidate for a major lahar or landslide event. Montserrat also suffers severe tropical storms and hurricanes, which could exacerbate the currently precarious conditions caused by the volcanic activity. Monsterrat is also prone to earthquakes, which could further deteriorate the structural integrity of the Soufriere hills.
Other hazards are presented in lightning, explosive gas eruptions and acidic spurts (Montserrat Volcanic Observatory 8). Thus far the water supply from springs in the Soufriere Hills has not been affected, but there is some risk of contaminants such as sulfuric and hydrochloric acids affecting the water supply.
The physical geography of
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3161
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page)
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