Mt Pinatubo, The Philippines - June 1991 (LIDC)
Population approx 105 million (2018) - densely populated around coastlines due to mountainous terrain
Capital city Manilla (not affected by volcano)
Archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean in East Asia
LIDC (cusp of EDC) - very reliant on primary industry - fishing, agriculture
Tectonically active location - regularly affected by devastating typhoons
June 1991 - erupted over a few weeks in June
Subduction plate boundary - magma rises to surface as denser oceanic plate subducted below a less dense tectonic plate
Causes explosive volcanic eruptions - viscous basaltic lava - results in formation of steep sided strato-volcanoes (composite)
Caused pyroclastic flows - travelled at 80km/h - reached 5km - created ash clouds (12km³ of rock and ash) up to 40km into the air
Winds carried ash 100’s of km
Cloud of ash and debris (tephra cloud) send up to 30km high by explosion
Ash fell 50cm deep in immediate area - 10cm to 600km radius
Approx 700 people died - many due to secondary effects - suffocation in lahars, disease, food shortages
184 injured
1.8 million people affected
200,000 houses and public buildings collapsed due to weight of ash deposits and fast moving lahars
At least 650,000 jobs lost - destruction of farms, shops, factories
Significant loss of crops for 2 years - planting was impossible the following year - long term food shortage
Longer term - ash would have added nutrients to soil and increased productivity
Over 1 million animals died - lack of food due to ash that fell on the ground
Global dimming (volcanic winter) caused by ash cloud - sulphur particles reflecting suns rays
Winter in UK and across northern hemisphere estimated 0.5°C cooler
Eruption estimated to have cost $700 million - $100 million damage to aircraft flying at time of eruption
Total cost estimated $10 billion
Evacuation orders issued for area as soon as activity was detected - several weeks before eruption
5th April - villages within 10km summit evacuated
12th April - evacuation area extended to 30km and 200,000 people evacuated
Approx 20,000 local residents did evacuate - BUT many people protecting their land - livelihood was more important - chose not to leave
Others experienced evacuation orders before - false alarms - chose not to leave
Some Aeta people refused to leave the mountain - lack of understanding about eruption - strong sense of community
US army successfully evacuated 15,000 people from Clark airbase
Total cost of evacuation - approx $93 million
Many evacuees were migrants to the area - chosen not to return
Air space closed - mitigate risk of further disaster in area used by military personnel as well as domestic cargo flights
$100 million damage to planes due to increased level of ash in atmosphere surrounding immediate area
At the time largest volcanic disaster in a populated area - responses were appropriate to scale of disaster
NGO’s such as Oxfam and Red Cross provided emergence aid - food, water, blankets, and tents as well as medical aid
Engineers build dams and dikes to stop lahars (mud flows)
Camps built to resettle people whose land and buildings were destroyed - as late as 2005 people were still living in these
Population approx 105 million (2018) - densely populated around coastlines due to mountainous terrain
Capital city Manilla (not affected by volcano)
Archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Pacific Ocean in East Asia
LIDC (cusp of EDC) - very reliant on primary industry - fishing, agriculture
Tectonically active location - regularly affected by devastating typhoons
June 1991 - erupted over a few weeks in June
Subduction plate boundary - magma rises to surface as denser oceanic plate subducted below a less dense tectonic plate
Causes explosive volcanic eruptions - viscous basaltic lava - results in formation of steep sided strato-volcanoes (composite)
Caused pyroclastic flows - travelled at 80km/h - reached 5km - created ash clouds (12km³ of rock and ash) up to 40km into the air
Winds carried ash 100’s of km
Cloud of ash and debris (tephra cloud) send up to 30km high by explosion
Ash fell 50cm deep in immediate area - 10cm to 600km radius
Approx 700 people died - many due to secondary effects - suffocation in lahars, disease, food shortages
184 injured
1.8 million people affected
200,000 houses and public buildings collapsed due to weight of ash deposits and fast moving lahars
At least 650,000 jobs lost - destruction of farms, shops, factories
Significant loss of crops for 2 years - planting was impossible the following year - long term food shortage
Longer term - ash would have added nutrients to soil and increased productivity
Over 1 million animals died - lack of food due to ash that fell on the ground
Global dimming (volcanic winter) caused by ash cloud - sulphur particles reflecting suns rays
Winter in UK and across northern hemisphere estimated 0.5°C cooler
Eruption estimated to have cost $700 million - $100 million damage to aircraft flying at time of eruption
Total cost estimated $10 billion
Evacuation orders issued for area as soon as activity was detected - several weeks before eruption
5th April - villages within 10km summit evacuated
12th April - evacuation area extended to 30km and 200,000 people evacuated
Approx 20,000 local residents did evacuate - BUT many people protecting their land - livelihood was more important - chose not to leave
Others experienced evacuation orders before - false alarms - chose not to leave
Some Aeta people refused to leave the mountain - lack of understanding about eruption - strong sense of community
US army successfully evacuated 15,000 people from Clark airbase
Total cost of evacuation - approx $93 million
Many evacuees were migrants to the area - chosen not to return
Air space closed - mitigate risk of further disaster in area used by military personnel as well as domestic cargo flights
$100 million damage to planes due to increased level of ash in atmosphere surrounding immediate area
At the time largest volcanic disaster in a populated area - responses were appropriate to scale of disaster
NGO’s such as Oxfam and Red Cross provided emergence aid - food, water, blankets, and tents as well as medical aid
Engineers build dams and dikes to stop lahars (mud flows)
Camps built to resettle people whose land and buildings were destroyed - as late as 2005 people were still living in these