Population and Natural Disasters
Question: Is it wise for towns near Mount Shasta to keep growing? What should be done about this situation? (Pg. 179, Natural Disasters, 2nd edition)
Volcanoes are a nuisance and a help mankind. As dramatically demonstrated by the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 1980 and of Pinatubo in June 1991, volcanoes can wreak havoc and devastation in the short term. This devastation is so short term that large populations begin to amass around sizeable volcanoes such as Mount Shasta.
However, it should be emphasized that the short-term hazards posed by volcanoes are balanced by benefits of volcanism and related processes over geologic time. Volcanic materials ultimately break down to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which fosters and sustains ours and previous populations. People use volcanic products as construction materials, as abrasive and cleaning agents, and as raw materials for many chemical and industrial uses. The internal heat associated with some young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy. For example, the electrical energy generated from the Geysers geothermal field in northern California can meet the present power consumption of the city of San Francisco.
The challenge to scientists involved with volcano research is to ease the short-term adverse impacts of eruptions, so that society may continue to enjoy the long-term benefits of volcanism. They must continue to improve the capability for predicting
eruptions and to provide decision makers and the general public with the best possible information on high-risk volcanoes for sound decisions on land-use planning and public safety. Geologists still do not fully understand how volcanoes really work,
but considerable advances have been made in recent decades. An improved understanding of volcanic phenomena provides important clues to the Earth's past, present, and possibly its future.
As far as what society should do about population growth around volcanoes that
have a potential of erupting on a human time scale…this is still a subject that is much
debated in the educational circles of the world. As a whole, society would rather forget
about the dangers that have a relatively small probability of happening in our lifetime like volcanic eruptions. It is easier for us to think in the short term, about "important" things
such as what kind of car we will be driving in a few months. Only a small percentage of the population can realize what geologic history can mean to a civilization.
MILLER, C. D. POTENTIAL HAZARDS FROM FUTURE ERUPTIONS IN THE VICINITY OF MOUNT SHASTAVOLCANO, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. N.p.: US Government Printing Office, 1980. Print.
These differences are in the makeup of the volcano, the impact on society, and the eruption itself. Mount Saint Helens, used to be a wonder of the world, but now a damage site of what happened on May 18, 1980. Mauna Loa is a tourist destination and one of the most active dispensers of lava and magma in the world. As shown, these volcanoes can’t be more different. Yet, each volcano has been a culprit to destruction, and have similarities within themselves. This report has expressed many similarities and differences and brought facts and knowledge to the historical eruptions by these impressive and ancient structures of
The west coast of North America has been tectonically and volcanically active for billions of years. The Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California were born of volcanoes, and magma has been erupting in the Long Valley to the east of the mountains for over three million years (Bailey, et. al., 1989). However, the climactic eruption of the region occurred relatively recently in the region's geologic history. About 760,000 years ago, a huge explosion of magma warped the Eastern Sierra into the landscape that exists today. The eruption depleted a massive magma chamber below the earth's surface so that the ceiling of the chamber imploded, forming what is now known as the Long Valley caldera. The caldera is at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about 50 km northwest of the town of Bishop, and 30 km south of Mono Lake (Bailey, 1976).
The most iconic volcanic eruption in history was the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Mt. Vesuvius is located on the west coast side of Italy. Pompeii was the ancient town five miles from Mt. Vesuvius where people would flock to the area in 79 AD to be near the Bay of Naples. Little did they know that the volcano would erupt into the most destructive volcano in history. Mt. Vesuvius has erupted about three dozen times and was the most disastrous due to the large population around the area. The volcano, which is still active today, is a stratovolcano. A stratovolcano has pyroclastic flows and erupt explosively and violently. Pyroclastic flows don't necessarily look exactly like “flowing eruptions”. These eruptions are not the “flowing” type of eruptions because they are eruptions with explosions and blowing clouds that fill the air. These clouds are usually dark clouds that are made up of ash. Pompeii had some signs of the volcano erupting, but the technology was not like the technology of today where scientists can monitor the volcanic activity.
Weisburd, Stefi. "Volcanoes And Extinctions: Round Two." Science News 131.16 (1987): 248-250. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
One of the largest and youngest volcanoes and considered a super volcano in the United States is known as the Valles Caldera. The location of the volcano is in the Jemez Mountains by Santa Fe New Mexico. New research from the scientists in the Valles Caldera concerning ejected microscopic textured rock and hot magma beneath the caldera can cause an eruption which will cover Las Alamos, and many small towns in the area. The ejected textured rock from the eruption 60,000 years ago, illustrates that the Valles Caldera is in a new stage of volcanic activity. The hot magma beneath the crust may indicate an eruption tomorrow or near future. If the volcano does erupt it will cover Las Alamos and the many small towns in the area; therefore, a monitoring program is to keep a watch on the volcanic activity is recommended.
Volcanoes have played a key role in forming the face of the earth as we know it today. Some of the most well known landmarks and locations in the world are volcanoes. From the Hawaiian Islands to Mount Vesuvius, the Earth is populated with hundreds of active and dormant volcanoes. Among these volcanoes there are multiple different types. Stratovolcanoes, the most dangerous type of volcanoes, are built by multiple eruptions over many years. Shield Volcanoes, the largest recognizable volcanoes, are characterized by being short but very broad with low sloping sides. Cinder cones, the most common type of volcano in the world, are composed of large amounts of tephra, or pyroclastic debris. The last type of volcano is supervolcanoes. Supervolcanoes are the largest volcanoes. They also have the highest potential for damage. This paper will discuss these these different types of volcano.
From modern examples and records we know that volcanic activity can set of a chai...
The Earth has a long history of volcanic activity. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes worldwide (USGS, 2014). Whether erupting on the Earth’s surface or deep in the ocean, volcanic activity can result in devastating natural disasters. A thorough background regarding volcanoes and their formation mechanisms, historical data, and damaging impact from previous eruptions is needed in order to understand the complicated science behind volcanoes.
Earth has physically changed millions of times due to moving tectonic plates which has formed our planets mountains; altering the way our environment looks. Volcanoes, (formed when magma from the upper mantle heads to the surface, causing the land to rise) are one of nature’s finest spectacles. These geographical forces have erupted many times; from small-scale eruptions to cataclysmic ones; making them a force to consider about. Therefore the past is useful in predicting possible future eruptions as in terms of the effects they can have on civilisation, they are unpredictable in what they can produce.
Volcanoes have always been a mysterious wonder of the world. Volcanoes have shaped the landscape and the very ground that we all live on. People have written stories of their disastrous eruptions, and painted their marvelous shapes on canvas. The essay will outline some of the more famous volcanoes and how they have impacted are history. Mount Vesuvius that destroy the great city of Pompeii, Krakatoa they spewed deadly ash on small village town, and Mount St. Helen, the only volcano in my own country to every erupt during my own time period.
Stories about volcanoes are captivating. Myths come in different versions, but all of them are capable of capturing yours, and everybody’s imagination.
Since the dawn of history, volcanoes have been an awe inspiring feature of the earth that has frightened and intrigued mankind. Volcanoes have taken the lives of over 250,000 people in the last three hundred years and changed the lives of millions of others, but up until recently humans have had very little understanding of the volcanic processes that presage an eruption. The advent and implementation of new technologies and scientific methods has allowed us to begin to comprehend the inner workings of one of nature's most powerful forces. Through understanding how volcanoes work, volcanologists hope to accurately predict when an eruption may occur, what the magnitude and type of eruption will be, and what effect it will have on the surrounding area. Accomplishing this daunting task will ensure that in the future when an eruption occurs, the population at risk will be prepared and lives can be saved.
Volcanoes can be one of the most destructive forces on Earth. It is estimated that some