Soufrière Hills, Montserrat volcano

Where is Montserrat located?

• Caribbean, British Overseas Territory.

• Situated on a destructive plate boundary.

• Between the North American and Caribbean plates.

What is the cause of the Soufrière Hills eruption in 1995?

• 🌋 Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary

• 🇺🇸 North American plate ➡ moves under 🇧🇸 Caribbean plate

• 🔥 Plate melts → magma forms

• ⬆ Magma builds up pressure

• ⚡ Magma rises through cracks in crust

• 🌍 Small earthquakes shake the island

• 💥 July 18, 1995 – volcano erupts explosively

• 🌪 Pyroclastic flows + ash destroy southern Montserrat incl. Plymouth

What were the impacts of the 1995 eruption on Montserrat?

• ⚠ 2/3 of island in exclusion zone → many farms destroyed → food shortages

• 🌋 Ashfalls covered island → polluted air

• ✈ Airport closed → harder to bring in aid

• 🌧 Acid rain → damaged crops

• 🌊 Lahars (mudflows) destroyed Plymouth + nearby areas

• 🔥 June 25, 1997 → pyroclastic flow killed 19 people

How did people respond to the 1995 eruption?

• Establishment of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) to monitor activity.

• £41 million in aid from the British government for recovery.

• £24,000 financial aid per family.

• About 1600 people were relocated to shelters in 1997.