...change is a variation of average weather. There are 2 causes of climate change. The first is human activity which includes deforestation, burning fossil fuels, agriculture, transportation and infrastructure. The second is natural causes which include volcanic eruptions and variations in solar outputs. These causes have negative effect on the natural environment which leads to increasing of temperature, increasing in sea level, changing of precipitations, extremely weather, killing species of animals, birds, fish and plants. This essay will show that the causes of climate change have different effects on the environment. Atmospheric carbon dioxide variations, volcanic eruptions and solar outputs, have negative impacts on animals, plants, and environment. Climate is always changeable. One winter can be early, another late; one summer wet, another dry (Carter 2000,34). For the last century climate has dramatically changed. Consequences of climate change may manifest itself as rapid and through the long period of time. Climate change could lead to number of catastrophic disasters as droughts, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions. For example earthquakes in New Zealand, China, Chilie, and Haiti, floods in Australia, Pakistan and India, volcanic eruption in Iceland, tornado in Dakota in the USA, Montana supercell thunderstorm and recent disasters in Japan. By climatologists’ evidence there are two causes with several factors that have a response for the...
Words: 2383 - Pages: 10
...A volcanic hazard refers to any potential dangerous volcanic process from primary hazards; such as lava flows, pyroclastic flows, ash falls or volcanic gases and also secondary hazards; including lahars and volcanic landslides. There are around 1500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide and therefore in my opinion, every volcanic eruption is unique and influences the hazards that are produced from it which will impact upon the environment, the economy and the population of an area. Although it can be argued that physical factors; like the magnitude, cause and give the greatest input into the initial impact, the human factors also have an influence on the effects a hazard can have, for instance the land use and demography. The vulnerability of LEDC’s (Low economically developed countries) has a large effect upon the response and recovery to a volcanic eruption. The Nevada Del Ruiz volcano erupted in 1985 and left devastating impacts as a result of the demography; such as the densely populated areas surrounding. The pyroclastic flows and melting glaciers that created lahars killed 22,000 people and 150,000 animals due the speeds of the hazards travelling at 50km per hour; mostly suffocating those that died. However as well as this there were many long term impacts that had a huge influence due to the destruction of basic needs and services that the LEDC’s primarily relied heavily on; the whole destruction cost the government $7.7 million. Therefore international aid (the Columbian...
Words: 1406 - Pages: 6
...Volcanic Materials and Health Concerns Introduction: Basic Geology of Volcanoes A volcano can be a mountain like structure or a wide sloping hill that opens downwards to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When a break in the earth’s surface allows molten rock material to come up from the earth’s core, a volcano is formed. Volcanic eruptions can cause lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods. These eruptions can also trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows and rock falls. Examples of volcanic mountains are Mount St. Helens, Mount Fuji, and Pinatubo. (Kusky, 2010). The earth’s crust is made up of huge slabs known as plates. Plates fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and float on the mantle. They are in constant motion, either towards each other or away from each other. Plate tectonics is considered to be the main theory currently used by most Earth Scientists to describe motion within the outer-most layer of the sold Earth, which is also known as the lithosphere. It is this movement that induces friction that causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Volcanism is associated with two of the plate boundary types, divergent and convergent margins. Volcanoes are formed when two tectonic plates meet; the heavier plate slides underneath the light plate and melts down to become magma. This mixes with trapped gases and steam in the magma chamber (Gates, 2009). Pressure from surrounding rocks forces the...
Words: 3423 - Pages: 14
...Earth’s surface. When the pressure inside the Earth builds up, a volcanic eruption occurs. Magma shoots up through the opening and flows down the sides. Volcanoes can also spew volcanic ash when it erupts. What is pyroclastic flow? Aerial Volcano is an active stratovolcano that erupts pyroclastic flow. Pyroclastic flows are high-density currents of hot gases and volcanic fragments that move away from the volcano at a high speed. Pyroclastic flows can rush down the side of the volcano as fast as 100km/hour or more and reach temperatures as high as 1075°C. Pyroclastic flow is arguably the deadliest volcanic hazard. It is impossible to outrun. Those who get caught in it will be unable to breathe, and most likely burn to death. How was Aerial Volcano formed? Aerial...
Words: 1279 - Pages: 6
...Analyse the factors that cause differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world. Volcanoes and their hazards have posed many problems across the world since they were formed. Due to their often aggressive activity they have been damaging to variations of human life. However these hazards are different depending on many factors, such as the nature of the hazard, the area where these hazards occur and the level of preparedness that area has. In this essay these factors will be studied to see if the effect of these volcanic hazards varies around the world. When a volcanic event occurs there are many hazards that could come from it. The primary being tephra; which is solid material varying in size that is ejected into the atmosphere, pyroclastic flows; which are very hot high-velocity flows, volcanic gases including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and lava flows. The secondary being lahars; which are volcanic mud flows, flooding through melting of ice caps, tsunamis from giant caldera forming events, volcanic landslides and climate change due to the ejection of vast amounts of volcanic debris into the atmosphere that can reduce global temperatures. These hazards have caused incidents such as when lahars devastated the Colombian town of Armero after the eruption of Nevado Del Ruiz in November 1985. From this we can deduce the high level destruction that these hazards can cause. Two volcanic events where the hazards have affected the area around them are the...
Words: 865 - Pages: 4
...Analyse the factors that cause differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40mks) There are many volcanoes around the world, some of which are active and others are dormant. The factors which cause them to be active are varied and can cause a threat to the surrounding area, including the environment and economy as well as the social impacts on people. A volcanic hazard however can pose a bigger threat to these socio-economic factors as a result of the eruption. Firstly, the type of volcano will also depend on the type of eruption and where abouts it lies within the plate boundaries. A hot spot however does not lie on a plate boundary but causes a volcano due to the high pressures of heat flow. An example of this is in Hawaii, southwest of the United States. Kilauea is a shield volcano on the southern part of the island which erupts runny, non-viscous lava and tends to be large in size with a low profile. These eruptions are not very explosive but occur very regularly and due to it being located in Hawaii, it is a very developed country and therefore caused various hazards to the area. Another type of volcano is a stratovolcano, this is different to a shield volcano because it is tall with a steep profile and causes more explosive eruptions. For example the Pinatubo volcano is located in the Philippines between the Eurasian and Philippine Plate on a destructive plate boundary. The last biggest eruption of Pinatubo was in 1991 however it was in a less economically...
Words: 1383 - Pages: 6
...There are a number of reasons why some places are more at risk of experiencing a major volcanic disaster. One reason is their geographical position within the world and in relation to tectonic plate boundaries. For example you have highly destructive and explosive volcanoes often found along destructive plate boundaries because of increased pressure within the subduction zone. You also find volcanoes along constructive plate boundaries where the plates are moving apart and this is creating new lands and volcanoes as molten lava builds up. Also there are volcanic eruptions from hot spots within plates where there is a large amount of heat flow in these areas. An example of this is Hawaii, which has a number of volcanoes. We can explore why some places are affected more than others by considering two contrasting countries. A MEDC; Mt Etna in Sicily, Italy and an LEDC; Soufriere hills in Montserrat. Mt Etna rests on a subduction boundary where the African tectonic plate is being pushed under the Eurasian plate. The munch denser African plate is being pushed down due to a process called slab pull. The benioff zone is where there is increasing heat and friction, this causes earthquakes and melts the oceanic crust. The oceanic crust melts as it reaches the mantle, plutons of molten sediment melt their way upwards through the crust to form composite volcanoes. Magma directly from the Earth’s mantle is being sucked into the space created by the tilting plate. At 3350m tall and covering...
Words: 1416 - Pages: 6
...To what extent can planning and preparedness mitigate the effects of volcanic hazards? A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat to life, health, property, or environment. There is a very big difference that helps prepare for a volcanic hazard and that is whether you are in a MEDC or a LEDC. In a MEDC monitoring volcanic zones and potential hazards is an option many LEDC’s don’t have. In Italy at Mt Etna they have Geochemical monitoring programs currently run by INGV which focus on the analysis of temporal changes, chemical changes and seismic activity. This option open to the Italians is not an option for LEDC who don’t have the wealth or public education to set up these stations. An example of an LEDC with no planning and prevention plans is Mount Pinatubo- Philippines, Its last eruption in 1991 was completely unplanned for. Mt Etna has a history of fairly frequent eruptions, all of which came with impacts on the surrounding area. Socially the town of Zafferana Etnea was threatened by the largest volume of lava in hundreds of years, this can also be seen as an economic impact. In 2002 a huge column of ash was thrown up from the biggest eruption in recent years and was deposited as far away as Libya. Seismic activity associated with these eruptions caused the eastern flanks of the volcano to slip by 2m, causing structural damage to many houses. Lava flows completely destroyed the tourist station at piano Provenzana and part of the tourist station at Rifugio Sapienza...
Words: 858 - Pages: 4
...Volcanic Threats in the United States Student’s Name Institution Volcanic Threats in the United States Volcano eruptions cost the United States quite a lot of monetary values, as a result of damage to properties. In the United States there are up to sixty active volcanoes, some explosive and others non-explosive. Mitigating the effects of the volcano eruptions is important to reduce future deaths and damage. This essay considers possible ways of mitigating the future damage and deaths from volcano eruptions, as well as the volcano risk areas in the United States. The first step in mitigating the effects of volcanoes is establishing high technology detection systems that will forecast possible volcanoes activities. There are many seismic data collecting systems designed to monitor the activities of magma and the volcano sites. However, these systems ought to be upgraded into to newer technologies to ensure efficiency in forecasting volcano eruptions (Aditya, 2014). In addition, the findings of these systems ought to be taken with weight. Failing to act upon the indications from such systems marks the beginning of volcano eruption dangers. Therefore, it is not only a matter of establishing systems, but ensuring that they are functional and acting upon their findings. Secondly, timely warnings of possible eruptions will assist people to keep safe distances from the volcano eruption. It is inevitable to warn people when...
Words: 1410 - Pages: 6
...what a hazard is and what are the volcanic hazards. A hazard is something that causes danger or risk. In the case of volcanic activity it is an event which can cause risks to human life or the surrounding environment. There are specific hazards which occur with volcanic eruptions such as pyroclastic flows, lava flows and the gas emissions from the volcano however there are also secondary hazards that can occur such as lahars, landslides and tsunamis. These are all natural however, the impacts can be worsened by human activity. The impact on humans depends on the amount of human activity surrounding the volcano and the human activity which occurs within the greatest risk area. Around the world, volcanic events can vary in both size and frequency this can be down to the type of plate boundary that the volcanoes lie on but also the type of lava that is known to that volcano. It can be argued that the volcanic hazards depend on the physical factors rather than human factors. For example the eruption that occurred in Iceland in 2010. There were 2 phases which had distinct physical differences and this then affected human activity in a number of different ways. Eyjafjallajökull’s first eruption occurred on the 20th March 2010 and it lasted 6 weeks. It didn't gain much interest from world wide media due to the fact there wasn't any explosive events which affected other parts of the world. This was down to the fact the lava that came from the eruption had a low viscosity meaning the...
Words: 2113 - Pages: 9
...World Cities: With reference to examples, assess the degree to which the level of economic development of a country affects planning and management in urban areas. (40 marks) Define planning and management: Sewage systems/housing/waste disposal LEDC’s – naturally expect them to be less sustainable, overcrowded and less efficient because lack money for good infrastructure 1. Stage 2 DTM high birth rate therefore overpopulation overcrowding so demand for housing/schools/roads/transport high but lack money to meet * Leads to illegal squatter settlements where metal scraps used to make homes/overcrowding on the train/poor sewage systems diseases more likely to spread 1. E.g. Dharavi Slum, India – 1 toilet per 400 Could argue that LEDC’s/NIC’s have poorer planning and management and when they did try to regenerate via Partnership scheme (slum clearance programme) – left in hands of developers who dumped them all on outskirts therefore very poor 2. On the contrary – Curitiba, Brazil which is BRIC country (GDP per capita in both cities is roughly same, with Curitiba earning $300 per head more) – population not growing as rapidly as MUMBAI but still quite significant. They had different approach – more sustainable: 1. Bus rapid transit system 2. Green exchange system – poor collect recycling and receive bus pass or food vouchers in return 3. Pedestrianisation * Extremely eco-friendly and though not fully developed and on par with USA and...
Words: 2036 - Pages: 9
...John Mysliwiec Conversations with the Earth November 29th, 2012 Volcanoes A volcano is a landform that generally is circular in cross-section that is constructed from lava and tephra erupted onto the Earth’s surface, usually the crust. The opening through which the lava and tephra are emitted is called the volcanic vent. Lava is magma that reaches the Earth’s surface. Magma is melted rock at high pressure and temperature. Magma rises because it is initially less dense than the rock surrounding rock. It eventually equals the density of the surrounding rock and becomes a magma chamber. Tephra is pumice or ash that is blown into the air during eruptions. Volcanoes are generally found where tectonic plates converge and diverge; but are usually not created where tectonic plates slide past one another. As a result volcanoes can be found in all sorts of climate locations. There are four primary types of volcanoes which all have varying effects on the environment. This paper will explore these various types of volcanoes and show how they differ, as well as giving examples of eruptions for each of the types discussed. Principle Types of Volcanoes Cinder cones: Cinder cones are built from particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent; they are the simplest forms of volcanoes. Gas charged lava is violently blown into the air and breaks up into small fragments that solidify and fall as cinders around the vent to form a circular or oval...
Words: 2922 - Pages: 12
...The nature of a volcanic eruption differs depending on the type of volcano, lava and eruption; this will also affect the hazards posed by volcanic eruption. Many substances can be erupted when volcanoes erupt including co2 gases, ash, pyroclastic flows and lava. Different substances that are spewed from the volcano create different hazards. In the Chaiten eruption in Chile, a plume of ash rose into the air and spread across to Chile and neighbouring country, Argentina. The ash created both environmental and social hazards. The ash covered a local reservoir as result residents were told not to drink water. As well as this the ash plume triggered thunderstorms and a polar storm, furthermore, ash had blocked reservoirs increasing the effects of flooding. Another physical factor that causes differences in volcanic hazards is lava type. If lava is low in viscosity such as basaltic lava, the eruption will be less explosive whereas lava high in viscosity will causes explosive eruptions such as the 2008, Chaiten, Chile eruption, producing substances such as ash and co2. However if lava is low in viscosity it is very runny and flows quickly. This means I can travel long distances before cooling, becoming a greater hazard especially if people are living in a close proximity to the volcano. In the 2002 eruption of MT Nyiragongo in Congo lava was of a basaltic nature and reached speeds of 60km/h meaning it was quickly able to reach the city of Goma, which had a population of 200,000. As...
Words: 259 - Pages: 2
...'The hazards presented by volcanic and seismic events have the greatest impact on the world’s poorest people'. To what extent do you agree with this view? Hazards are anything that could cause damage to humans or buildings. Many volcanic and seismic events happen that cause hazards to humans. Often the world’s poorest people are hit the worst, however wealthier countries can also be adversely affected. The Kobe earthquake in Japan 1995 struck at 5.45am. Many people were asleep in bed, causing the hazard to be increased because the people were unaware. Although many Japanese buildings were of aseismic design, the roofs of their houses were designed to withstand typhoons and so were very heavy. When the earthquake struck many people were crushed in their sleep. Also every year on 1st September Japan has national earthquake preparedness day to remember the 140000 that died in the Tokyo earthquake of 1923 but this did not help many of the citizens of Kobe. The Kobe earthquake was also in December so many people had nowhere to go in the middle of the night in winter and the risk of hyperthermia was extremely high. People were not put into temporary accommodation for up to two weeks after the event because the Japanese government originally refused assistance from foreign countries to help with the aid effort. The secondary effects of the earthquake like the gas leaks and fires killed 3000 people and many businesses were lost in the port. The Kobe earthquake shows that sometimes...
Words: 1043 - Pages: 5
...that we cannot control that can greatly impact the environment. Volcanoes are natural manifestations of hot, fiery power which is centered deep within the Earth. These formations are essentially vents on the Earth’s surface where molten rock, debris and gases from the planet’s interior are emitted. When the magma and gas underneath the surface of the Earth start to build up in large amounts together, it pushes this energy up to the surface which then will result in an eruption of lava, ash and rocks into the air. When the combination of magma and gas is smaller, the explosion that it creates is much smaller. Instead of fiercely erupting from the ground, the lava, ash and rock more or less seeps out of the vent. After the material spewed during eruptions has collected and hardened around the vent over a period of time, it will form the mountain-like mounds that we so frequently associate with volcanoes. As for how long it takes for these mounds to form, depending on how strong and the duration of the eruptions, it can take only weeks or up to a few million years (Volcanoes). Typically, it can be dangerous living close to an active volcano. Most of the time, it will affect civilizations nearby negatively. When a volcano erupts it shoots out lava, which can reach up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This lava can come racing down into towns and has the potential to destroy everything in its path. The rocks that can emerge from a volcano when it erupts can also be devastating to surrounding...
Words: 791 - Pages: 4
