Volcanic eruption case study

Soufriere Hills:

Location: Montserrat (island on the Caribbean Sea).

Margin: destructive plate margin; North American was subducted under the Caribbean plate.

Date: June-September 1997; a series of large eruptions.

Largest eruption: 4-5 million m^3 of tephra was ejected over a 20-minute period; pyroclastic flows covered several square kilometres; large ash clouds.

Economic impacts:

• £1 billion lost with loss of homes and investments.

• 20 villages destroyed by pyroclastic flows.

• Tourism was reduced.

• Schools, hospitals,…