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.
Volcanic forecasts are more accurate then earthquake predictions. These predictions are generally forecast in the same way as an earthquake (temperature increases in geothermic waters gaseous concentrations, changes in elevation of land and water etc… Because we generally know where Volcanoes are, we can predict when an eruption may take place.
Volcanoes are one of the most disastrous yet captivating geological land forms on earth. Many volcanic eruptions are catastrophic, but not all volcanic eruptions are as brutal. The two case studies I have chosen to compare and contrast are the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption with the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano which is still active today.
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.
The first time I saw Mt. Rainier for myself, was last summer when my boyfriend and I drove to Washington. It was the most beautiful, peaceful looking mountain I have ever seen. However, underneath it's great beauty, it hides a deadly secret. Mt. Rainier is one of the most dangerous volcanoes that we have here in the United States. One of the reasons it is so dangerous is because of it's great beauty. People enjoy looking at it, and the area that surrounds it, so they have made their homes here. Mt Rainier is not the only volcano I am interested in, in fact this last summer I also went to Mt. St. Helens and Crater Lake. But it is the volcano I chose to research for this paper because it does have so much beauty and at the same time so much power. I already know the basics about volcanoes, how they form, the different types, etc., but I wanted to find out more about what would happen if this great volcano were to erupt, what type of eruption would it be, and how would it affect the people that live around it.
Although volcanoes are difficult to predict, geologists have made many efforts in order to caution the people of Orting and other surrounding towns of possible lahar slides. Residents have been made aware of emergency response plans and they know the proper precautions to take in the case of a volcanic activity emergency. Sirens have been put in place by the fire department and governing bodies of surrounding communities to detect volcanic activity and warn the community of possible slides.... ... middle of paper ...
...gh Mount Shasta is a beautiful mountain with great hiking spots for tourists, it is also a big threat to surrounding cities. This volcano poses the threat of pyroclastic flows, debris flows, lahars, and tephra. The prevalence of many of these hazards isn't very high, however the threat they pose is very serious and isn't taken lightly.
Boom! A once ice-capped mountain peak explodes as ash fills the air. “‘Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!’”Those were the last words of expert geologist David Johnston (Gunn 561). In 1980, Mount Saint Helens of the state of Washington erupted, filling the air with ash and causing mudflows powerful enough to lift tons. It decimated everything in its path. The eruptions, mudflows, and ash caused great damage on the landscape, yet it gave us information on how catastrophes happen and how they affect society and the surrounding landscape. The data acquired can also help us understand the way the landscape was formed. Mount Saint Helens caused much damage, but also helped people understand the science behind it.
Hidden underneath the park, powerful volcanic, magnetic, and hydrothermal forces are reforming the land. Several earthquakes, uplifting, and subsidence of the landscape proves that these powers exist. Recent studies have caused scientists to think that Yellowstone could be growing larger as flowing molten rock builds up below the ground. In a period of 10 years, the volcano has risen 5 inches, not a significantly detectable difference, but it may have split the ground in the Norris Geyser Bassin that could reawaken some of the geysers, like the Steamboat. In spite of this newly found information, scientists do not speculate the volcano erupting any time soon, but with time, it will end with a super natural disaster, destroying everything in its path
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
Stories about volcanoes are captivating. Myths come in different versions, but all of them are capable of capturing yours, and everybody’s imagination.
It is known however that lying underneath one of America's areas of great natural beauty, Yellowstone Park, lays one of the largest super volcanoes in the world. Scientists have discovered that it has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago, therefore this shows the next eruption is late and could erupt at any moment. Scientists know that the collision of a Yellowstone eruption is terrifying to understand.
Volcanoes can be one of the most destructive forces on Earth. It is estimated that some
From modern examples and records we know that volcanic activity can set of a chai...
The earliest outcropping volcanic deposits date back to about 25,000 years ago. The lavas observed at a -1125 m bore-hole are about 0,3-0,5 million years old. It is known for the first eruption of which an eyewitness account is preserved, in 79 AD. Geologically, Vesuvio is unique for its unusual versatility. Its activity ranging from Hawaiian-style release of liquid lava, fountaining and lava lakes, over Strombolian and Vulcanian activity to violently explosive, plinian events that produce pyroclastic flows and surges.