A case study of a volcanic eruption in an LEDC – Mount Pinatubo, the Philippines

Mount Pinatubo is found in the Western Philippines, a country comprising hundreds of islands. It is very close to this countries capital Manila. The volcano is found at a destructive plate margin, where the dense oceanic Pacific plate is being pushed under the lighter Eurasian plate. The volcano was monitored from the 2nd of April 1991 after steam explosions where noted. On the 5th of April 40 earthquakes where recorded and later on the 9th of June pyroclastic flows occurred. The most violent eruption occurred on the 15th of June producing a 40km high column of ash and pyroclastic flows at over 80 kph.

Effects

Social Effects Economic Effects Environmental effects

75,000 people had to be evacuated from a Houses and bridges destroyed and needed Volcanic ash is blown in all directions over 30km radius of the volcano replacing and Manila airport had to be hundreds of KMs, smothering fields and buildings. closed

847 people lost their lives, 300 killed by Heavy rainfall from Typhoon Yunga Fast flowing volcanic mudflows (lahars) cause collapsing roofs and 100 by lahars. causes buildings to collapse. sever river bank erosion, undercut bridges etc.

1.2 million people lost their homes around Farmland destroyed by falling ash and Global cooling caused by ash in the atmosphere the volcano and had to migrate to shanty pumice, unusable for years, the 1991 of 0.5°C towns in Manila. harvest was destroyed and 650,000 people lost their jobs

Prediction, Prevention, Aid and Monitoring

Prediction Prevention Preparation

What they 75,000 people were evacuated due to 75,000 people evacuated up to a Evacuation camps built for refugees. actually did accurate predictions. There was no radius of 30km. USA air force monitoring until the 3rd of April but helicopters helped. Warning sign like gas and steam looked seismometers were put into place. for. Long and short term aid organized Alert systems put into place to especially from the Red Cross and the The United States Geological Service warn of eruption. United States helped to predict the disaster Government Shelters.

What they could Set up permanent monitoring points, divert Placed strategies for long term Storage of medical supplies food and have done lava flows with use of dynamite, or use aid and disease control in water in preparation for disaster. satellite images to look upon volcano site evacuations prepared for. for changes in land surface.