Montserrat Island Essay, Research Paper

Montserrat is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. On the southern end of the

island is the Soufriere Hills volcano. The volcano, which first erupted about

100,000 years ago, has been dormant for centuries. The volcano took the

islanders by surprise when it began to erupt again in 1995. Since then life on

the island has changed greatly. Montserrat island is located in a 50 million

year old subduction zone. This is an area where one of the earth?s oceanic

plates is forced beneath a more buoyant plate. Fluids rich in water and

dissolved minerals are taken out of the crust that is being driven into the

earth?s mantle by the extreme temperatures and pressure. When the fluids rise

they cause the overlying mantle to melt and form magma. The magma erupts along

the subduction zone and eventually builds up on itself and forms volcanic

islands. * http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/west.indies/soufriere/govt/images/forty.jpg

The volcano began erupting again on July 18, 1995 after remaining silent for

almost four hundred years. The volcano has erupted numerous times since then.

The southern part of the island has been evacuated three times. There are about

3,200 people living on the island today. Of the 8,00 that fled most plan to

return to the island once the volcano settles down. The problem is that no one

knows when that will be. It could be a long time before the people return to the

island. * http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/volcanoes/images/1ml-back1.jpg

Volcanic activity cannot be predicted. Different things happen with different

volcanoes and none are the same. Looking back at the volcanoes recent history,

it may be safe to assume that the volcano will continue to erupt for a number of

years. No one can actually be certain what exactly the volcano will do in the

years to come. It may decide to settle down for another four centuries. The only

thing that anyone can really do is watch what happens and try to keep the people

on the island safe. Since the volcano began erupting in 1995, the lives of the

people on the island have changed greatly. Soufriere Hills was once covered in

thick forests and Montserrat was big on agricultural trade. Now many of the

island?s villages including all of the villages within eight kilometers of the

volcano have been evacuated. Some of the other village people still live in fear

of being rained on by pumice pebbles or their houses or land being hit and

destroyed extremely hot rock the size of basketballs landing like bombs on their

property. More than 2/3 of the people that lived on the island have fled because

of the volcano. Soufriere Hills has had a devastating effect on the lives of the

people of Montserrat. Who knows what is to come in the future for Montserrat.

The volcano will most likely keep erupting for some time. Hopefully the people

who live on the island will stay safe. If the volcano does die down, then maybe

life will begin to return to normal on the island. Most of the 8,000 who fled

will return and probably will try to rebuild the island. The future of

Montserrat is unpredictable but we can hope that it will be good.

1.Fall Out: Eye On The Volcano, National Geographic, 1998, http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/volcanoes/.