Volcano of the Week #19 - Soufiere Hills

I have mentioned this volcano before which is located on Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory, and was reminded of it when someone commented on a post below about the Lashings cricket team. It is not however the only volcano in British Territory, there is one on the South Sandwich Islands which sounds very fun and some others in some other places. After a long period of dormancy, the volcano erupted in 1995 and has been going pretty much ever since; the most destructive eruptions took place from 1995-1999. The eruptions destroyed the capital Plymouth and almost half the island. Around two thirds of the population fled the island, many of whom settled in the UK. The UK was criticised for not giving enough aid after the disaster; Claire Short was particularly shit (which is a statement that I only want to link to this particular event), lack of aid is so often the case in the wake of these tragic events. I think it's no coincidence that natural disasters tend to happen in poorer places as due to less stable weather and conditions places cannot grow crops and have limited agriculture which ultimately leads to less stable industry. Then the poorer nations stay poor as we live in a horrible capitalist society so when these terrible disasters strike, the wonderful western world is slow to act. If you look at large nations like America they don't even provide enough aid to their poorer states which I think happened during Hurricane Katrina. Anyway back to the volcano before I go on an even longer, more boring and more agricultural rant.

The volcano is still fairly active and an evacuation order was issued during the 2006 eruption. No eruptions from Soufiere Hills have been particularly large (1995 only had a VEI of 3), it was the fact that the volcano had been dormant for so long and the unexpectedness of the eruption which caused so much chaos. The volcano is also dramatic as due to its large scale on the island and its style of eruption, which follows the dome growth and collapse pattern, eruptions have dramatically changed the landscape on Montserrat. So in every way this small island has been totally altered by the eruptions that took place; it is probably more noticeable in a small community that everything is linked, however larger nations should also not forget this.

There is also a song about Soufiere Hills, well not that much about it, it's really just about volcanoes in general. But according to wiki SH is the namesake.

This will go on the up and coming Volcano Club compilation CD which will be ready when Alice Purton has written her fucking volcano song!

Finally in volcano and Bjork news my mummy heard her on front row talking about lovely volcanoes so I will have to listen to that (this is primarily a reminder to myself).