FREE ESSAY ON MONTSERRAT

MONTSERRAT

Montserrat is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. On the southern end of the island is the
Soufriere Hills volcano. The volcano, which first erupted about 100,000 years ago, has
been dormant for centuries. The volcano took the islanders by surprise when it began to
erupt again in 1995. Since then life on the island has changed greatly.
Montserrat island is located in a 50 million year old subduction zone. This is an area
where one of the earth's oceanic plates is forced beneath a more buoyant plate. Fluids
rich in water and dissolved minerals are taken out of the crust that is being driven into
the earth's mantle by the extreme temperatures and pressure. When the fluids rise they
cause the overlying mantle to melt and form magma. The magma erupts along the subduction
zone and eventually builds up on itself and forms volcanic islands.
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http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/west.indies/soufriere/govt/images/forty.jpg
The volcano began erupting again on July 18, 1995 after remaining silent for almost four
hundred years. The volcano has erupted numerous times since then. The southern part of
the island has been evacuated three times. There are about 3,200 people living on the
island today. Of the 8,00 that fled most plan to return to the island once the volcano
settles down. The problem is that no one knows when that will be. It could be a long time
before the people return to the island.
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http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/volcanoes/images/1ml-back1.jpg
Volcanic activity cannot be predicted. Different things happen with different volcanoes
and none are the same. Looking back at the volcanoes recent history, it may be safe to
assume that the volcano will continue to erupt for a number of years. No one can actually
be certain what exactly the volcano will do in the years to come. It may decide to settle
down for another four centuries. The only thing that anyone can really do is watch what
happens and try to keep the people on the island safe. 
Since the volcano began erupting in 1995, the lives of the people on the island have
changed greatly. Soufriere Hills was once covered in thick forests and Montserrat was big
on agricultural trade. Now many of the island's villages including all of the villages
within eight kilometers of the volcano have been evacuated. Some of the other village
people still live in fear of being rained on by pumice pebbles or their houses or land
being hit and destroyed extremely hot rock the size of basketballs landing like bombs on
their property. More than 2/3 of the people that lived on the island have fled because of
the volcano. Soufriere Hills has had a devastating effect on the lives of the people of
Montserrat.
Who knows what is to come in the future for Montserrat. The volcano will most likely keep
erupting for some time. Hopefully the people who live on the island will stay safe. If
the volcano does die down, then maybe life will begin to return to normal on the island.
Most of the 8,000 who fled will return and probably will try to rebuild the island. The
future of Montserrat is unpredictable but we can hope that it will be good.
Works Cited
1.Fall Out: Eye On The Volcano, National Geographic, 1998,
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/98/volcanoes/.