Soufrière Hills
Soufrière Hills | |
---|---|
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,050 m (3,440 ft)[1] |
Prominence | 1,050 m (3,440 ft)[1] |
Coordinates | 16°43′N 62°11′W / 16.717°N 62.183°W |
Geography | |
Country | Montserrat |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
Volcanic arc/belt | Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc |
Last eruption | 2013[2] |
The Soufrière Hills are an
The volcano is
The Centre Hills in the central part of the island and the Silver Hills in the north are older volcanic massifs related to the subduction zone. There are three main parts of the island: the central zone, subduction and exclusion.[6]
Name
Many volcanoes in the Caribbean are named Soufrière (
]Early history
- 2460 BC (± 70 years): An explosive eruption formed the crater at the top of the volcano.[7]
- 1550 AD (± 50 years): Between 25 and 65 million cubic metres of lava erupted at Castle Peak.[7]
1995–1999 eruption
Pyroclastic flows were first observed on 27 March 1996.[10] Although these pyroclastic flows and mudflows were initially confined to unpopulated areas, a major pyroclastic flow on 17 September 1996 caused severe damage to the village of Long Ground, near the volcano.[11] By August 1997, much of the southern part of the island, including most of Plymouth, had been buried by pyroclastic flows.
During this period, the southern portion of the island, including the capital Plymouth, was evacuated three times. The first evacuation lasted from 21 August 1995 - 3 September 1995, after the first phreatic eruption. The second evacuation began on 1 December 1995,[12] due to growth of the lava dome. Residents were allowed back to most areas, including Plymouth, on 1 January 1996,[13] but residents of some areas on the eastern flank of the volcano were not allowed back until 15 January 1996.[14] On 3 April 1996, after pyroclastic flows and mudflows began occurring regularly, southern Montserrat, including the capital, Plymouth, was permanently evacuated.[15]
Earthquakes continued to occur in three
The governments of the
The British destroyer HMS Liverpool took a major role in evacuating Montserrat's population to other islands, including Antigua and Barbuda who warned they would not be able to cope with many more refugees.[20] About 7,000 people, or two-thirds of the population, left Montserrat; 4,000 went to the United Kingdom.[21]
Abandoned settlements
The following is a list of Montserrat settlements abandoned by the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano:
- Amersham
- Bethel†
- Bramble†
- Cork Hill
- Dyers†
- Elberton
- Fairfield†
- Farm†
- Farrell's†
- Farrell's Yard†
- Gages
- Galway's Estate†
- Harris†
- Hermitage†
- Kinsale
- Lee's
- Molyneux
- Long Ground†
- Morris's†
- North Olveston (since re-settled)
- Old Towne (since re-settled)
- Plymouth – the capital of Montserrat, initially evacuated in August 1995; abandoned and destroyed in 1997†
- Robuscus Mt†
- Saint George's Hill
- Saint Patrick's†
- Salem (since re-settled)
- Soufrière†
- Streatham†
- Weekes
- Woodlands (since re-settled)
†Settlement was destroyed
In addition, the W. H. Bramble Airport was destroyed.
Activity since 1999
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2017) |
On 24 December 2006, streaks of red from the pyroclastic flows became visible. On 8 January 2007, an evacuation order was issued for areas in the Lower Belham Valley, affecting an additional 100 people.
At 11:27 pm local time on Monday 28 July 2008, an eruption began without any precursory activity. Pyroclastic flow lobes reached Plymouth. These involved juvenile material originating in the collapse of the eruption column. In addition, a small part of the eastern side of the lava dome collapsed, generating a pyroclastic flow in Tar River Valley. Several large explosions were registered, with the largest at approximately 11:38 pm. The height of the ash column was estimated at 12,000 m (40,000 ft) above sea level.
The volcano has become one of the most closely monitored volcanoes in the world since its eruption began, with the Montserrat Volcano Observatory taking detailed measurements and reporting on its activity to the government and population of Montserrat. The observatory is operated by the British Geological Survey, under contract to the government of Montserrat.
The 9 October 2008 issue of the journal Science suggested that two interconnected magma chambers lie beneath the surface of the volcano on Montserrat – one six kilometres below the surface and the other 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) below the surface. The journal also showed a link between surface behaviour and the size of the deeper magma chamber.[22][23]
On 5 February 2010, a vulcanian explosion simultaneously propelled pyroclastic flows down several sides of the mountain, and on 11 February 2010, a partial collapse of the lava dome sent large ash clouds over sections of several nearby islands, including Guadeloupe and Antigua. Inhabited areas of Montserrat itself received very little ash accumulation during either event.[24]
On 12 February 2010, at 1200 UTC/GMT, Meteosat SEVIRI Channel 7 shows the ash plume from the eruption was caught up within the warm sector of a frontal system heading towards western Europe exacerbating two East Atlantic winter storms. [reference] Violent storms accompanied by torrential rain and high wind passed over Madeira on 20 February and western Europe on 26-28 February. In Madeira there was at least 48 fatalities and damage to infrastructure at a total estimated cost of 4 billion Euros. The storm landfalling in western France (named 'Cyclone Xynthia') resulted in at least 63 fatalities and estimated damage within the range of 1.3-3 billion Euros.
Yim, W. 2016. Volcanoes and disastrous storms. Imperial Engineer, Spring 2016, p. 19.
In popular culture
- Jimmy Buffett's song Volcano and album of the same title are named for Soufrière Hills, and the album's cover artwork features a drawing of smoke spewing from the volcano's summit.[25] Buffett recorded the album at AIR Studios in the town of Salem on the island in 1979 and drew inspiration for the song from relaxing at a hot spring at the volcano's base.[26] The studio was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and never reopened.
- Season 3, episode 13 of the National Geographic television documentary programme Seconds from Disaster talks about the events surrounding the eruption.[27]
Gallery
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22 September 1997 10:46 a.m. eruption
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Ash plume from Soufrière Hills, 10 March 2004
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The volcano in 2011
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Debris in Belham River Valley in 2011
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A close-up of the volcano in 2012
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Close-up of the volcano in 2012
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Pyroclastic flow deposits in 2012
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The side of the volcano in 2012, showing the path taken by pyroclastic flows
See also
- List of Seconds From Disaster episodes
References
- ^ a b Height before the 1995 eruption was 915 m. The eruptions since 1995 have formed a lava dome that has increased the height to 1050 m (2015 estimate): see The CIA World Factbook on Montserrat.
- ^ "Soufrière Hills". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
- ^ "The 1997 Soufriere Hills Eruption".
- ^ "Montserrat". Encyclopedia Britannica. 7 April 2023.
- .
- ^ "Volcanic History of Montserrat". Montserrat Volcano Observatory. 10 July 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Global Volcanism Program: Eruptive history".
- ^ "Soufrière Hills". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.
- ISBN 978-1-86239-098-0.
- .
- .
- ^ "Gov't of Montserrat Information Service - Press Releases".
- ^ "Gov't of Montserrat Information Service - Press Releases".
- ^ "Government Information Service".
- ^ "Gov't of Montserrat Information Service - Press Releases".
- ISBN 978-0-444-51340-3.
- ^ "BBC country profile: Montserrat". BBC News. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
- ^ "Montserrat tourism arrivals up 22 percent in first seven months of 2010". www.thewestindiannews.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ "UK citizenship for island outposts". The Guardian. London. 18 March 1999. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
- ^ a b "Montserrat Chief Minister Resigns As People Reject Aid Offer". Politics '97. BBC. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "Montserrat evacuation remembered". BBC. 12 September 2005. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
- S2CID 206514402. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
- ^ "Multiple Magma Reservoirs Affect Volcanic Eruption Cycles", Newswise, 6 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ "Montserrat Volcano Observatory". Montserratvolcanoobservatory.info. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (2021-08-21). "Jimmy Buffett Recalls Montserrat's Fabled Air Studios, From Sailing to Work to Hiring a Drummer in the Jungle". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ hoggatt, matt (2019-10-16). "Behind the Song: Jimmy Buffett, "Volcano"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
- ^ Walker, Chris, Montserrat Volcano, Seconds from Disaster, Peter Guinness, retrieved 2023-12-28
External links
- Satellite imagery of 11 February 2010 eruption
- Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) - Current monitoring of the Soufrière Hills Volcano in Montserrat.
- USGS Info on Soufrière Hills Volcano
- 2009 activity at Soufrière Hills Volcano, from Earth Observatory
- Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program: Soufrière Hills