Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction

FOURTH QUARTER NOTES

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards • long-period inactivity is evident from

What is a VOLCANO?
• a vent, hill or mountain from which
molten or hot rocks with gaseous
materials are ejected
• can be craters, hills or mountains
formed by removal of pre-existing
material or by accumulation of ejected
materials
too much weathering & erosion of deep
& long gullies (valleys)
Active, Potentially & Inactive Active
Volcanoes of the Philippines
• ~300 volcanoes
• 24 considered active
• 27 potentially active

Two Types of Eruption

a. EFFUSIVE ERUPTIONS occur when
hot, (1200oC) runny basalt magmas
reach the surface. Dissolved gases
escape easily as the magma erupts,
forming lava that flows downhill quite
easily.
Effusive eruptions build up gently-
sloping Shield Volcanoes like Hawaii.
b. EXPLOSIVE ERUPTIONS occur
where cooler, more viscous magmas
(such as andesite) reach the surface.
Dissolved gases cannot escape as
easily, so pressure may build up until
gas explosions blast rock and lava
fragments into the air!
Lava flows are much thicker and
stickier so do not flow downhill as
easily. These eruptions build up more
steeply-sloping Composite volcanoes
like this one in Chile.
VOLCANO SHAPES AND FORMS
a. Composite (Stratovolcanoes)
Description: Large, symmetrical, steep-sided
mountains formed by layers of lava, ash, and
volcanic rocks.
Examples: Mount Fuji in Japan, Mount St.
Helens in the United States
b. Shield (Largest Volcanoes)
Description: Large, broad, gentle slopes formed
by fluid basaltic lava flows.
Examples: Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, and Kilauea
in Hawaii; Olympus Mons on Mars
c. Cinder Cone (Scoria Cones: simplest
and most common type
Description: Smallest type, steep sides built
from loose volcanic debris from single eruption
vent.
Examples: Paricutin in Mexico

CLASSIFICATION OF VOLCANOES d. Fissure Volcano

(PHIVOLCS)
Description: a type of volcano in which lava
ACTIVE: erupts through a linear volcanic vent, usually
without any explosive activity
• erupted w/in historical times (last 600
yrs.); has written historical accounts or Example: Las Pilas, Nicaragua
oral tradition

• erupted w/in the recent geological

period (10,000 yrs.) based on
radiometric dating

• has volcanic seismicity

POTENTIALLY ACTIVE:

• landform is young-looking but w/ no

records or proof of eruption HOW DO VOLCANOES FORM?

INACTIVE: Destructive Plate Margin (Convergent)

• no recorded eruptions
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES

 Lava flows
 Lahars
 Pyroclastic
 Secondary
density currents /
explosions
pyroclastic flows
 Tsunami
 Ashfall or tephra
 Debris
fall
avalanche/
Constructive Plate Margin (Divergent)  Volcanic gases
Sector collapse
 Fissuring

A. ASHFALL or TEPHRA FALL

 Gravitational settling of volcanic ash &
fragments from the umbrella clouds of
tall eruption columns & ash clouds of
pyroclastic flows
 Dispersal depends on prevalent wind
directions, column heights

Impacts of Ashfall
WHERE DO VOLCANOES FORM?
• Results to widespread infrastructural
I. ISLAND ARC damages when thick
Long, curved chain of oceanic islands associated • Monitored worldwide by aviation agencies
with intense volcanic and seismic activity and due to potential jet engine failure to all types
orogenic (mountain-building) processes of aircraft
II. MAGMA HOT SPOT • Health hazard
Area on earth over a mantle plume or an area
under the rocky outer layer (crust) where magma
is hotter than the surrounding magma B. LAVA FLOW
 Incandescent rivers of hot molten rock
III. MID OCEANIC RIDGES (lava)
Is a sea floor mountain system formed by plate  Erupted from volcanic craters, fissures,
tectonics: Divergent tectonic plates. during Hawaiian- Strombolian activity,
lava dome eruptions
IV. CONTINENTAL ARC  Usually slow-moving for moderate -
Two tectonic plates meet, and where one plate high SiO2 magma; fast-moving for low
has continental crust and the other oceanic crust SiO2 magma (e.g. Hawaii lavas)
along the line of plate convergence and a Impact: Results in long term disuse of buried
subduction zone develops: Convergent land
movement.

V. RIFT ZONES

Areas of weakness in the volcano which form

early in its lifetime, likely due to spreading:
Divergent Movement

C. PYROCLASTIC DENSITY
CURRENTS / PYROCLASTIC FLOWS
& SURGES
VOLCANO HAZARDS  Turbulent mass of ejected fragmented
volcanic materials (ash & rocks) + hot
TWO TYPES OF VOLCANIC HAZARDS gases that flow downslope at very high
speeds (30 - 700 kph)
Primary Volcanic Secondary Volcanic
Hazards Hazards  Deadliest of all volcanic hazards

Impacts of Pyroclastic Flows and Surges

Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES

• Burning & incineration of everything in the F. GROUND FISSURING

flow path  due to movement of magma beneath the
surface may be movement / adjustments
• Filling of river valleys w/ pyroclastic flow
along faults accompanied by
deposits
earthquakes.
• Hibok-Hibok Volcano, Camiguin Island,
December 1951: 500 deaths
G. DEBRIS AVALANCHE
• 1911 Taal Volcano eruption: 300 deaths
 Downslope movement of large -volume
from base surges, travels laterally outward
proportions of the volcanic flanks due
from the base of an eruption column at 90-
to:
500 m/s.
- movement of magma beneath
Notes: Phreatomagmatic eruption = interaction the edifice (Bezymmiany -
between magma and water type)
- adjustments along faults
transecting volcanoes
D. LAHARS - earthquakes (Bandai -type)
 Rapidly flowing thick mixture of
H. SEICHE / LAKE TSUNAMI
volcanic sediments and water
 Formed by perturbations by eruptions,
 Triggered by rainfall, melting of
debris avalanches entering lakes, bays
criterial icecaps, lake breakout or
hydrothermal “squeezing”  Taal 1911 & 1965 eruptions – generated
seiches 2.5 - 4.7 m-high seiches that
TWO CLASSES OF LAHARS swept inshore for ca. 100 m
HYPERCONCENTRAT
DEBRIS FLOW
ED STREAMFLOW
VOLCANIC HAZARD MITIGATION
• high viscosity
• solid fraction is • has moderate viscosity VOLCANO MONITORING NETWORK
60 - 80% by • solid fraction 20 -  6 volcano observatories Techniques:
weight or 60% by weight, 40 - seismic, geodetic, water/gas
>60% by 60% by volume geochemistry, remote sensing;
volume visual/sensory observations

 2 volcanoes monitored with 1-seismic

sensor
Impacts of Lahars

• Burial

• Cutoff and Isolation

• Long-term siltation & related flooding

• Water pollution cause by particulate

terrestrial clastic material, with a
particle size dominated by silt or clay

E. GASES
 Basic components of magma or lava:
- Water (H2O), Carbon Dioxide
(CO2), Carbon Monoxide
(CO), Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S),
Fluoride (F2), Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2), Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4),
etc.)
 Mostly toxic species VOLCANO MONITORING TECHNIQUES
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES

5. Keep your pet/s in

their shelter or
while cleaning.
inside the house to
4. Use powder
help them avoid
detergent in
inhaling ash.
washing clothes
6. Wash thoroughly all
contaminated
fruits and vegetables
with ash.
before eating.
5. To remove ash
7. Cover water
from glass
containers and food
windows and
to avoid
doors of the
contamination with
house and car,
TYPICAL ERUPTION PRECURSORS ash.
use water hose
8. If you are driving a
before washing
vehicle, pull to the
them with soap
side of the road and
and lukewarm
stop if there is a
water.
heavy ashfall.
6. Collect the ashes
9. If you are outdoors,
and put them in
look for shelter and
an area far from
wear glasses to
water drainage to
protect your eyes.
avoid clogging.
Avoid using contact
lenses.

VISUAL AND OTHER SIGNS OF

VOLCANIC UNREST BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF VOLCANOES

1. Geothermal features
- Warm/hot springs, lakes,
fumaroles, steaming vents
2. Good site for trekking, camping,
enjoying nature
3. Eruptive activities
- Activities can be observed
from safe areas
4. Preserved Impacts of Historical
WHAT TO DO DURING AND AFTER Eruptions
OCCURRENCE OF VOLCANIC
HAZARDS?
The country has many volcanoes, active and
DURING AFTER inactive, which can be good sites for tourism
1. Stay calm. Cover 1. After removing Volcanoes are attractive travel destinations:
your nose and mouth the ash, clean the beautiful sites because of its landforms/shapes;
with damp cloth or roof and gutter geothermal features; good site for trekking,
gas mask. with water to camping, enjoying nature; preserved impacts of
2. As soon as the prevent historical eruptions; eruptive activities observed
ashfall tapers; scrape corrosion. from safe areas
off the ash that has 2. Shake loose ash
accumulated on roof from plants Safety should always be considered in
tops to prevent before watering developing and maintaining tourism in volcanic
collapse. them. areas and in locating facilities
3. Listen to the radio 3. Use vacuum
The natural environment should be conserved
for updates or cleaner or shake
and the well-being of the local people should be
developments loose the ash
improved in developing volcanoes as travel
regarding the from furniture
destinations (Respect local/cultural traditions
volcanic eruption. before dusting
and etiquette; practice minimum
4. Close windows and them. Cover your
environmental impact)
doors of the house nose and mouth
and your car.
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
FOURTH QUARTER NOTES