Volcanic Eruptions in Spain: 7 Airports were closed.

Click the following link to watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcjBb1QUy94&feature=relmfu

Source & Acknowledgement

Sources and acknowledgments

Section 1-case study of Mount Merapi

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/photogalleries/101026-indonesia-mount-merapi-volcano-eruption-world-science-pictures-photos/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Merapi

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2029641,00.html

Section2-prediction of volcanoes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction_of_volcanic activity

http://www.blurtit.com/q779044.html

Section3-Why people continue to live near volcanoes

Section3-Why people continue to live near volcanoes

http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/physical/earth/volcanoes/why%20people%20live%20near%20volcanoes.html

http://cnx.org/content/m23184/latest/

http://www.fife-education.org.uk/socsub/SocialSubjects/Geography/PowerPoint_samples/Fife/Volcanoes_JB2.ppt

Section 4-Reducing negative impacts

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/todo.html

http://gsc.nrcan.gc.ca/volcanoes/redrisk_e.php

Section 4: What more can be done to reduce the negative impacts?

Firstly, keep ashes out of buildings, machinery, vehicles, downspouts, water supplies, wastewater systems, and the most effective way to prevent this is to shut the machinery down, or seal the equipment until the ash is removed from the city. 


Secondly, minimize the exposure to airborne ashes from volcanoes. 


Thirdly ,always prepare extra food, extra water and tidbits so that when any emergency happens, people have enough food and water to survive until there are rescue teams out to rescue people trapped under volcanic ashes. 


Fourthly, provide the public with information of how to survive if a volcanic erupts and what they must do to help others. The government can also disallow people to stay around volcanic places so that when a volcanoes erupts people do not need to evacuate and have their homes destroyed and losing everything that they have. The government can also have scientist and geologist to be aware of volcanoes that may erupt and keep track of the volcanoes condition.


 Lastly, the government can give out a siren to people living in volcanic regions to evacuate as quickly as possible to reduce lost of people.


Done By Lee Yu Wei(28) 2/2

Section 3 : Why Do People Live Near Volcanoes?

People choose to live near volcanoes because they felt that the advantages overweighed the disadvantages.  The main things that attract people to live near active volcanoes are minerals, geothermal energy, fertile soils and tourism and many people felt that these are more important than the potential danger of living close to a volcano.

Volcanoes are rich sources of minerals.  Hot gases escape through vents, which brings minerals to the surface,  an example will be sulfur.  The sulfur collects around the vents as it condenses and solidifies.  The locals will then collect the sulfur and sell it.

Geothermal energy means heat energy from the earth.  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.  The steam is not used directly because it contains too many dissolved minerals that could precipitate out and clog pipes, corrode metal components and possibly poison the water supply.

Lava and ash are rich in minerals.  Once they cool and are broken down by the weather, they form fertile soils.  The farmers love to star near volcanoes as the productive soils can grow any kind of fruits and vegetables quickly.

Volcanoes attract millions of visitors every year.  Tourism creates jobs in shops, restaurants, hotels and tourist centers/national parks.  This way, more people are able to have jobs and support their families.  Local economies can profit from volcanism throughout the year.

In short, there are indeed many advantages of living near volcanoes, however, are we willing to risk our lives just for those advantages?  We cannot say that living near volcanoes is practical or ridiculous as it is up to individuals to decide for it.   In actual fact, the reasons gave by people of less developed countries and developed countries are the same.  All of them are willing to risk the potential danger just by having the advantages like fertile soils, which is very useful for farmers and may even allow them to earn more money.

Farmers farming near volcanoes due to fertile soil

Done by Rachel Chua(11) 2/2

Section 2: How Are Volcanic Eruptions Predicted?

Volcanic Eruptions

Prediction of volcanic eruption is an interdisciplinary scientific and engineering approach to natural catastrophic event forecasting.

The first is simply by visual observations.

●        Volcanoes may form a big bulge on its side. Increased smoke and minor lava eruptions are also signs that a large eruption may be about to occur.

●        Analyzing the amounts of gas being released can be helpful in predicting eruptions, as well as using temperature sensors to monitor temperature inside of the volcano. An increased temperature occurs before the start of an volcanic eruption.

How Are Volcanoes being Analysed?

●        the principle of inflection points in trends states that with unknown rates of change, a point in time is reached at which the volcanic system becomes unstable and likely will erupt;

●        the principle of coinciding change states that one monitored parameter alone may not yield significant symptoms to diagnose an imminent eruption.

●        the principle of known behavior  treats a volcano as a medical patient, assuming that responses to changes in the underground and can become better known by understanding its past eruptive characteristics;

●        the principle of unexpected behavior treats volcanoes like the public as inherently inconsistent systems which will lead to unexpected eruptions.

●        the principle of symptom-based short-term forecast as with all the other principles is similar to an epidemiological diagnosis, whereby forecasts are based on symptoms and patient history. 
Done by:Justin Lo(26) ,2/2

Section 1 Mount Merapi

Section 1 Mount Merapi

Introduction

Mount Merapi meaning Mountain of Fire in Indonesia, is an active volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the youngest volcano in Southern Java .It is one of at least 129 most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.It is partly situated at the Pacific Ring Of Fire. There are thousands of people who live on the sides of the volcano in villages, which is as high as 1,700 metres above sea level.

Impact(1)

How this region is affected?

The destruction that Mount Merapi has created was very destructive and this led to many fatalities and damages.

There are always smoke seen emerging from the the top of Mount Merapi at least 300 days a year. Typically, there are small eruptions occurring every two three years. Larger eruptions however, happen in every 10 to 15 years . Larger eruptions cause many deaths which have occurred in 1006, 1786, 1822, 1872, and 1930 when thirteen villages were destroyed and 1400 people killed.

Merapi in 1930

It is claimed that a very large eruption occurred in 1006 have covered all of central Java with ash which wiped out Hindu Kingdom of Mataram.

 

On 22 November in 1994, hot gas from a large eruption of Mount Merapi killed 27 people from a town. Later, another large eruption occurred in 2006, shortly before the Yogyakarta earthquake had occurred. People were then more aware of the high hazards and dangers that Mount Merapi causes and might erupt again anytime .On 25 October 2010 the officials predicted that an eruption will most likely occur as they recorded some volcanic earthquakes and magma had rised to a danger area and as such, the Indonesian government raised the alert to its highest level and warned villagers to move away to safer grounds. On the afternoon of 25 October 2010, Mount Merapi erupted lava from its southern and southeastern slopes. Mount Merapi was still erupting on 30 November 2010 .However, due to lowered eruptive activity on 3 December 2010; the official alert status was reduced. Still, this area is still affected. The Volcanic material in the air has led hundreds to complain of respiratory problems.

 Merapi Volcano 27 January 2007.   

            

Merapi next to Merbabu 9 January 2008.

Impact(2)

Why is this area finding more difficult to get back onto its’ feet?

A lot of people were killed after the volcanic eruptions which happened mainly because they breathe too much of the poisonous gases. Hence, more doctors and nurses have to come down to help the victims and heal them up. After the gases which are emitted, this followed by the ash which covered all the things and there comes the molten lava which will destroy the properties like houses, vehicles and hence, many people will be homeless and jobless. As such, the government has to use funds to help and aid the people and reconstruct the whole town/village. The funds can be used for the country’s development and hence, the development of the county will be slowed down due to insufficient funds. The people will also get poor because their properties and destroyed. The poor will be poorer. This affects the country development and will slow down the rate of economic growth.

 

Done by: Ong Yun Sen(34),2/2