Volcano Research

[EricLacey]

Information Needed:

What are the effects:

What is the emergency response:

What causes it:

Is it linked to climate change:

Where does this happen:

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KqLLVOWrC44TZZJVfx0EHmr6478Iw8kM62GDcTocP3M/edit?usp=sharing

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VOLCANOES What are the effects: Covers objects with ash - ashfall can be heavy and make it hard to breathe Lava flows, although slow, can still ruin houses, roads, and other objects (most people can out run this lava type) Pyroclastic lava flows are more deadly because they travel faster. Mix of ash and hot gas and can kill you since you can’t outrun it fast enough (100-200 km/h) Water contamination damaged machinery reduced visibility difficulty breathing irritation of skin, eyes, nose, throat What is the emergency response: Stay updated about volcanic activity warnings with http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/ Volcanoes with pyroclastic flows: leave ASAP before eruption If volcano erupts nearby a city, civil defense authorities are consulted. Depends on size and type of eruption… Listen for emergency info/alerts Follow evacuation orders Avoid areas headed towards eruption Protect yourself from falling ash Do not drive if ashfall is heavy. Ashes can clog engines and stall vehicles If the biggest risk is ash: stay indoors at a safe temporary shelter if enough supplies. Seal doors/windows, cover vent openings If biggest risk is lava: evacuate as far away as you can Avoid areas with wind that can carry rubble/ash If outside: try to use a certified face mask to protect yourself from falling ashes Send texts to family/friends/social media. Calling may be too busy, unless you use emergency call Do not get rid of ash from roof unless you have been trained What causes it: Volcanoes erupt when magma (molten rock), formed through melting of Earth’s mantle, starts rising to the surface When Earth’s mantle melts, it’s because of the movement of tectonic plates (pulling/pushing away) Since magma is lighter than rock, it rises above to the surface of earth, creating gas bubbles along the way. Thick magma has more gas bubbles. If runny magma erupts from an opening, it runs on earth’s surface as lava 2 ways volcano has a deadly explosion: When there is too much pressure from gas bubbles in thick magma When there is too much pressure from subsurface water interacting with hot magma to create steam Is it linked to climate change: Something good: can make soil more fertile for farming. Something bad: can also kill crops Volcanoes release less than 2% of carbon dioxide from human activities, Although about once in 20 years there is a huge volcanic eruption that releases a large amount of gases. These gases protect earth against the sun better, causing global cooling for a couple of years Mount Pinatubo erupted in philippines in 1991, 20 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide and ashes blasted 20km high into the sky. This caused cooler global temperatures, reduced solar radiation, and changed atmospheric circulation patterns. Sulfuric gases change to sulfate aerosols particles that contain mainly sulfuric acid, which can stay trapped for a few years in the stratosphere Volcanic aerosols can cause cooling of global troposphere, but warming of stratosphere, and warm troposphere in the winter Where does this happen: Where major tectonic plates shift Most active volcanoes in: Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon Kilauea continuously erupts Tambora volcano in 1815 killed 10 000 people 1984: Mauna Loa erupted in Hawaii, but lava flows stopped before town 1973: Heimaey erupted in Iceland, burying nearby town of Heimaey 1960: Kilauea erupted in Hawaii, burying nearby town of Kapoho 1980: Mount St. Helens ashes fell all over Washington and Oregon towns 1902: Mount Pelee erupted in Martinique island, destroying Saint Pierre town 1985: Ruiz had lahars (destructive mudflow from volcano slopes) that buried part of Armero town 1991: Mount Pinatubo in phillippines

Sources: http://volcano.oregonstate.edu/how-do-volcanoes-affect-people https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/44100737 https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/42/what-do-volcanoes-have-to-do-with-climate-change/ https://earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/sensing-our-planet/volcanoes-and-climate-change https://www.ready.gov/volcanoes