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What is like living near a volcano?

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What is like living near a volcano? What is it like most of the time? What happens when it erupts? Why do people live near volcanoes? At first it may seem odd that ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: What is like living near a volcano?


1
What is like living near a volcano?
  • What is it like most of the time?
  • What happens when it erupts?

2
Why do people live near volcanoes?
  • At first it may seem odd that people would want
    to live close to a volcano or any tectonic
    activity.
  • After all, volcanoes have a nasty habit of
    exploding, discharging liquid rock, ash,
    poisonous gasses, red hot clouds of embers, and
    generally doing things that kill people.
  • Yet, throughout history, people have deliberately
    chosen to risk all those hazards and live near
    them, even on the slopes of active volcanoes that
    have erupted within living memory.

3
  • They chose to live close to volcanoes because
    they felt that the advantages outweighed the
    disadvantages.
  • Most volcanoes are perfectly safe for long
    periods in between eruptions, and those that do
    erupt more frequently are usually thought of, by
    the people who live there, as being predictable.
  • Today, about 500 million people live on or close
    to volcanoes.
  • We even have major cities close to active
    volcanoes. Popocatapetl is a volcanic mountain
    less than 50 miles from Mexico City in Mexico.
  • In short, the main things that attract people to
    live near active volcanoes are minerals,
    geothermal energy, fertile soils and tourism.
  • Lets look at each one...

4
Minerals
  • Magna rising from deep inside
    the earth contains a range
    of
    minerals.
  • As the rock cools, minerals are
    precipitated out and, due to

    processes like the movement of superheated water
    and gasses through the rock, different minerals
    are precipitated at different locations.
  • This means that minerals such as tin, silver,
    gold, copper and even diamonds can be found in
    volcanic rocks.
  • Most of the metallic minerals mined around the
    world, particularly copper, gold, silver, lead
    and zinc are associated with rocks found deep
    below extinct volcanoes.
  • Hot gasses escaping through vents of active
    volcanoes also bring minerals to the surface,
    notably sulphur, which collects around the vents
    as it condenses and solidifies.
  • Locals collect the sulphur and sell it.

5
Geothermal Energy
  • Geothermal energy means heat energy from the
    earth.
  • It's unusual to use the heat directly, by
    building your house on top of a steam vent for
    example, because it's unpredictable, dangerous
    and messy.
  • The heat from underground steam is used to drive
    turbines and produce electricity, or to heat
    water supplies that are then used to provide
    household heating and hot water.
  • Where steam doesn't naturally occur it is
    possible to drill several deep holes into very
    hot rocks, pump cool water down one hole and
    extract steam from another hole close by.

6
Geothermal Energy
  • Countries such as Iceland make extensive use of
    geothermal power, with approximately two thirds
    of Iceland's electricity coming from steam
    powered turbines.
  • New Zealand and to a lesser extent, Japan, also
    make effective use of geothermal energy.
  • Iceland has over 200 volcanoes and 800 hot springs
  • 26 of Icelands electricity comes from
    Geothermal Power.
  • Reykjavik is said to be the most unpolluted
    capital in Europe.
  • Its true - the city is absolutely pristine. The
    air is crystal clear.
  • The geothermal electricity generation has a lot
    to do with this.

7
Other uses of Geothermal power in Iceland
  • It is also used for recreational purposes
  • Blaa Lonio - The Blue Lagoon. In the middle of
    this huge lava field sits this pool of seawater
    naturally heated by the geothermal activity below
    the surface

8
  • Southeast of Reykjavik,
    the town of Hveragerdi
    serves as a
    geothermal
    farming centre for the
    capital.
  • Puffs of steam coming
    out of the ground all

    over the place.
  • There were greenhouses everywhere, often
    surrounded by steaming cracks in the ground.
  • The extreme climate of Iceland is actually able
    to produce much in the way of tropical fruits and
    vegetables with the help of geothermal steam.

9
Fertile Soils
  • Volcanic rocks are rich in minerals, but when the
    rocks are fresh the minerals are not available to
    plants.
  • The rocks need thousands of years to become
    weathered and broken down before they form rich
    soils.
  • When they do become soils though, they form some
    of the richest ones on the planet.
  • The Naples area, which includes Mount Vesuvius,
    has such rich soils thanks to two large eruptions
    35,000 and 12000 years ago. Both eruptions
    produced very thick deposits of ash and broken
    rocks which have weathered to rich soils.
  • Today, the area is intensively cultivated and
    produces grapes, vegetables, orange and lemon
    trees, herbs, flowers and has become a major
    tomato growing region

10
Tourism
  • Volcanoes attract millions of visitors every
    year, for different reasons.
  • As an example of the wilder side of nature, there
    are few things that can beat seeing an erupting
    volcano blowing red hot ash and rock thousands of
    feet into the air.
  • Even the less active ones that are just puffing
    out steam and smoke are impressive sights and
    attract tourists from around the world.
  • Around the volcano may be warm bathing lakes, hot
    springs, bubbling mud pools and steam vents.
  • Geysers are always popular tourist attractions,
    such as Old Faithful in the Yellowstone National
    Park, USA. Old Faithful is such a popular tourist
    feature that it even has its own 24 hour Old
    Faithful webcam.

This one is in New Zealand
11
Tourism
  • Iceland markets itself as a land of fire and ice,
    attracting tourists with a mix of volcanoes and
    glaciers, often both in the same place.
  • The wild, raw and barren volcanic landscapes also
    attract tourists who want to see what the early
    planet may have looked like.
  • Tourism creates jobs in shops, restaurants,
    hotels and tourist centres / national parks.
  • Locals economies can profit from volcanism
    throughout the year, whereas skiing, for example,
    has only a limited winter season.
  • In Uganda, a country trying hard to increase its
    tourist industry, the volcanic region around Mt
    Elgon is being heavily promoted for it's
    landscape, huge waterfalls, wildlife, climbing
    and hiking and its remote 'get away from it all'
    location.

12
Building Materials
  • Blocks of lava are used for building materials
  • Granite is a volcanic rock
  • Ash is used in cement to build with.

13
They stay there because there is nowhere else to
go it is home
  • Land is cheap in volcanic and earthquake zones.
    Some people are too poor to leave their home
    (especially in LEDCs) also poor education does
    not explain why they should move further away
  • Even when people can afford to leave the area
    they may be too attached to their homes to leave.
    Their families have been there for generations.
  • And there are so many people living in these
    dangerous areas, that it would difficult if not
    impossible to re-house them, especially as many
    areas that provide food for so many other people.

14
So living near a volcano can have its advantages,
but how do you cope with the danger?
  • Scientists can often find clues about past
    eruptions by studying the deposits left behind.
    Areas affected by lava flows etc can be mapped,
    making disaster planning more effective.
  • In addition to this type of long-range
    forecasting, scientists are becoming more and
    more skilled at spotting the warning signs of an
    eruption.

15
Warning Signs
  • Before an eruption, magma moves into the area
    beneath the volcano and collects in a magma
    chamber, or reservoir.
  • As it comes closer to the surface, the magma
    releases gases.
  • These events can offer valuable clues about the
    likelihood of an eruption.
  • For example, the movement of magma produces small
    earthquakes and vibrations
  • Magma gathering in a chamber causes slight
    swelling of the volcano's slopes.
  • Gases released near the volcano can be measured
    for changes in quantity and makeup.

16
Monitoring Methods
  • A number of tools can be used to record these
    warning signs.
  • Seismographs can detect small earthquakes,
  • while tiltmeters and geodimeters can measure the
    subtle swelling of a volcano.
  • Spectrometers can measure amounts of sulfur
    dioxide
  • a telltale gas that is released in increasing
    quantities before an eruption.
  • Using these and other tools, it's possible to
    closely monitor activity at an awakening volcano.
  • Volcanologists are becoming very skilled at
    predicting the likelihood of an eruption.

17
But .
  • . it's very difficult to pinpoint exactly when
    an eruption will happen.
  • Often, moving magma doesn't result in an eruption
    at all, but instead cools below the surface.
  • Monitoring potential eruptions is expensive.
  • With many volcanoes erupting only every few
    hundred or thousand years, it's not possible to
    monitor every site.
  • Volcanic eruptions don't occur without warning,
    however. If we set up monitoring devices, we
    should not be caught off guard by disastrous
    eruptions.

18
So you are living in a volcanic zone?
  • What can you do to stay safe?

19
Your plan should include 4 parts
  • What do I need to know and have ready in case an
    eruption should happen?
  • What will I do if an eruption is predicted?
  • What will I do during an eruption?
  • What will I do after an eruption?

20
OK you live in a volcanic area
  • What do you need to know and have ready in case
    an eruption should happen?

21
Suggestions include
  • Learn about your community warning systems.
  • Be prepared for these disasters that can be
    spawned by volcanoes.
  • Earthquakes, Flash floods, Landslides and
    mudflows, Thunderstorms, Tsunamis
  • Make evacuation plans. You want to get to high
    ground away from the eruption. Plan a route out
    and have a backup route in mind.
  • Develop an emergency communication plan.
  • In case family members are separated from one
    another during a volcanic eruption, have a plan
    for getting back together. Ask an out-of-state
    relative or friend to serve as the "family
    contact." Make sure everyone knows the name,
    address, and phone number of the contact person.
  • Have disaster supplies on hand.
  • Flashlight and extra batteries, Portable,
    battery-operated radio and extra batteries, First
    aid kit and manual, Emergency food and water,
    Non-electric can opener, Essential medicine, Cash
    and credit cards, Sturdy shoes, A pair of goggles
    and a throw-away breathing mask for each member
    of the household.

22
The volcano alert has been madeTV and Radio are
telling people to evacuate URGENTLY
  • The eruption could be any time soon!
  • You have a plan but what could go wrong with
    it?

23
Some ideas
  • Although it may seem safe to stay at home and
    wait out an eruption, doing so could be very
    dangerous. The rock debris from a volcano can
    break windows and set buildings on fire. Stay
    safe. Follow authorities' instructions and leave
    the area before the disaster begins.
  • Follow the evacuation order issued by
    authorities. - Avoid areas downwind of the
    volcano.
  • Mudflows or Lahars are powerful "rivers" of mud
    that can move faster than people can walk or run
    and occur when rain falls through ash-carrying
    clouds or when rivers are dammed during an
    eruption.
  • When you approach a bridge, first look upstream.
    If a mudflow is approaching or moving beneath the
    bridge, do not cross the bridge. The power of the
    mudflow can destroy a bridge very quickly.

24
If eruption happens before you get away
  • If caught indoors
  • Close all windows, doors, and dampers.
  • Put all machinery inside a garage or barn.
  • Bring animals and livestock into closed shelters.
  • If trapped outdoors
  • Seek shelter indoors.
  • If caught in a rock fall, roll into a ball to
    protect head.
  • Avoid low-lying area where poisonous gases can
    collect and flash floods can be most dangerous.
  • If caught near a stream, beware of mudflows.
  • Protect yourself
  • Wear long sleeved shirts and pants.
  • Use goggles to protect eyes.
  • Use a dust-mask or hold a damp cloth over face to
    help breathing.
  • Keep car or truck engines off.

25
Afterwards
  • Listen to a battery-powered radio or television
    for the latest emergency information.
  • Stay away from volcanic ash fall.
  • When outside
  • Cover your mouth and nose. A number of victims of
    the Mount St. Helens volcano died from inhaling
    ash.
  • Wear goggles to protect your eyes.
  • Keep skin covered to avoid irritation or burns.
  • If you have a respiratory ailment, avoid contact
    with any amount of ash. Stay indoors until local
    health officials advise it is safe to go outside.
  • Avoid driving in heavy ash fall. Driving will
    stir up more ash that can clog engines and stall
    vehicles.
  • Clear roofs of ash fall. Ash fall is very heavy
    and can cause buildings to collapse.

26
Homework
  • Imagine you are an advertising executive and you
    want to attract people to visit or live on your
    volcano (you might like to use your volcano from
    last week?)
  • In a 3-slide PowerPoint
  • Explain
  • why it is really the one place they would like to
    come to
  • how they will protected by monitoring
  • how they can prepare to survive any disaster
  • Keep it brief and punchy this is an advert
    remember
  • Dont let the font size go below size 24
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