Montserrat: Under the Volcano

	The Soufriere Hills Volcano has made half the island uninhabitable since 1995.

The Government of Montserrat: Official Releases Montserrat Red Cross Montserrat Volcano Observatory USGS Volcano Hazards Fact Sheet Ask a Volcanologist Volcano World NASA Volcanology Team

The volcano on the island of Montserrat turned deadly last Wednesday when avalanches of rocks, gas and ash from an eruption killed at least 10 people and destroyed villages in the southern part of the country. Ten more are feared dead. A plume of ash shot 30,000 feet into the sky, blotting out the sun. With temperatures as high as 940 degrees, the deadly mass moved down the mountain at speeds of 200 mph, incinerating and devouring everything in its path, burying entire villages that had already been evacuated. On Monday, it spewed more ash from its dome. The tiny Caribbean island--barely 40 square miles--has been living in the shadow of the Soufriere Volcano which awoke for the first time in recorded history in July 1995. It has spewed volcanic particles on and off since then and erupted again in April 1996 sending more Montserratians fleeing to safe zones in the northern part of the country to live in temporary shelters. An evacuation order had been in effect for more than a year in the official “danger zone” in the south. Almost half of the island is now uninhabitable. The Montserrat Red Cross is aiding about 1300 evacuees who are currently in shelters. Anna Payne, a Red Cross administrator in Montserrat, says dried goods such as flour, sugar, and powdered milk, canned vegetables, and toiletries such as liquid soaps and towels are most immediately needed. (Addresses for donations are listed on the Red Cross website.) “They’re saying the volcano is unstable, dangerous and unpredictable,” said Payne. “We’re providing for all who are in need.”

A plume of ash shot 30,000 feet into the sky, blotting out the sun.

According to the Montserrat Government Information Service, “Scientists at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory say that the designated safe zone remains safe from any major impact as a result of activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano.” The Montserrat Volcano Observatory has monitored the volcano since 1995 and works with the Government Information Service to post daily updates on volcanic activity on their website. The island even advertises the volcano as a tourist attraction on the Montserrat Tourist Board webpage. "A live volcano? On a vacation? You must be crazy! No, not at all -- if you're lucky, you can see a wonderful glow at night.” The Soufriere Hills volcano is part of a string of volcanoes forming a long Caribbean arc. Volcanologists say if you could peek under thie island, you'd see all the action beneath the ocean floor, where three plates of the earth are grinding away. Along with these titantic upheavals, rock is melting and turning into the hot material we call "magma." The red blob of magma contains compressed gasses--like champagne bubbles. As it reaches the surface it explodes like an uncorked champagne bottle. According to the US Geological Survey, volcanic gasses can range from “relatively benign low-temperature steam to thick hot clouds of choking sulfurous fume jetting from the earth.” There is little expectation that the volcano will grow silent any time soon. “This type of activity will continue for the foreseeable future,” said Herman Sargent from the Government Information Service. “We can’t predict when it when stop.”

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