Mount Pinatubo Eruption Case Study (PDF)

in a case study, investigate one eruption that has had a significant effect on the biosphere and atmosphere and assess its impact CASE STUDY: Mount Pinatubo Where -The island of Luxon in the Philipines When -June 15th 1991, la...

in a case study, investigate one eruption that has had a significant effect on the biosphere and atmosphere and assess its impact CASE STUDY: Mount Pinatubo Where -The island of Luxon in the Philipines When -June 15th 1991, lasted 9hrs Tectonic -Convergent plate boundary where the oceanic philippines plate subducted under the lighter setting continental eurasian plate Description -Second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century -6 million people lived around it and was believed that the dormant volcano was a mountain -In April 1991, several earthquakes occurred and began moving closer to volcano → magma was filling up the chamber -Then a 1.5km fissure opened up near the summit → scientists installed monitoring devices -Devices showed volcano was active and magma chamber was full -Warning level increased and mass evacuation was implemented for a 30km radius -June 15th a large eruption occurred and only 65,000 people had evacuated -Typhoon Yunya then struck after dispersing the ash Impact on -847 people died and 2 million were directly affected from collapsing roofs, lahars & disease biosphere -Rice paddies and sugar cane fields were buried and burnt by lahars -Volcanic ash covered agricultural land and forests -1 million farm animals were left and died -Pyroclastic flows killed those who didnt evacuate -Ash caused breathing issues/infections -Ash contaminated water → reduced water supply for animals and people -Global cooling → ice caps lasted longer Impact on -Ash was projected 35km into the atmosphere → decreasing air quality atmosphere -Global cooling of 0.5 caused by sulfur dioxide and ash in stratosphere that lasted 2 years → reflected the sun and stratosphere doesnt have rain clouds to wash out pollutants Assessment -Significant damage and loss of impact on -Thick, valley-filling pyroclastic flow deposits the enviroment Social Imapct -Descruction to communities, fear and loss -847 fatalties Economic -$700 million in damage impact -650,000 workers forced out of work due to descruction of farms, shops and factories → less production and revenue for Philipines