MONTSERRAT VOLCANIC ERUPTION 1995

British Overseas Territory

On 18 July 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano, in the southern part of the
island, became active. Eruptions destroyed Montserrat's Georgian era capital city of Plymouth.
Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's population was forced to flee, primarily to the
United Kingdom, leaving fewer than 1,200 people on the island as of 1997 (rising to nearly
5,000 by 2016).[5][6] The volcanic activity continues, mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth,
including its docking facilities, and the eastern side of the island around the former W. H.
Bramble Airport, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on 11
February 2010.

An exclusion zone, encompassing the southern half of the island to as far north as parts of the
Belham Valley, was imposed because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting
potential for pyroclastic activity. Visitors are generally not permitted entry into the exclusion
zone, but a view of the destruction of Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles
Bay. Relatively quiet since early 2010, the volcano continues to be closely monitored by the
Montserrat Volcano Observatory.

History And Timeline

The early history of the volcano is relatively unknown due to inconsistent record keeping. The
first explosive eruption is estimated to have been around 2,500 years ago. The last known
eruption was in the 16th century where anywhere between 25 to 65 million cubic meters of lava
erupted at Castle Peak. The 1995 eruption was preceded by seismic activity recorded in 1897,
1933 and lastly in 1966. The eruption in 1995 was also preceded by seismic activity but what
ensued was mostly unexpected. Earthquake swarms had first been detected in 1992 and again
in 1994.

Eruption Of The Soufrière Hills Volcano

The eruption of ash in July 1995 prompted an evacuation of almost 5,000 residents. The
volcano grew a new dome on November 1995. By January 1996, the old dome was rapidly
buried and between March and September of the same year, the first pyroclastic flows poured
down the Tar river valley. This created a new delta and in April the south of the island was
evacuated. The capital city of Plymouth was also abandoned. Pyroclastic flows and eruption
columns are the main features of this volcano. They occur when the dome collapses or
explodes. Tonnes of hot rock, lava and ash explode from the crater in a cloud moving at speeds
of up to 100 miles per hour with temperatures reaching over 400°C. The fast moving cloud
annihilates and incinerates everything in its way.

Aftermath Of The Eruption

The eruption left the southern two-thirds of the islands completely inhabitable. Pyroclastic flows
still pour down the slopes of the volcano. The eruptions continued after the volcano became
active. The disaster resulted in the collapse of the tourism and also the local rice processing
industries. Unemployment shot up from a manageable 7% to over 50%. Agricultural activities
became nearly impossible and living conditions were further worsened by respiratory problems
caused by the spewing ash. The aid and relief activities were spearheaded by both British and
Montserrat governments.

Conclusion

The 1995 eruption changed the landscape and living conditions of the Montserrat Island
completely. It destroyed the economy and forced most residents to abandon the city. As a result
of this eruption, several monitoring initiatives were undertaken like the establishment of an
extensive seismograph network. The volcano is still active and subject to eruptions from time to
time. It remains to be seen how long it will take until the island is habitable again.