Write an essay Assignment on Geology. The essay is to be 2 pages with three to five sources, with in-text citations and a reference page.349).If a super volcano erupted, the effects would be catastrophic. The Lake Toba eruption, which occurred in what is now Sumatra and Indonesia approximately 74,000 years ago, plunged the earth into a volcanic winter and killed approximately 60% of the human population at the time. There are all kinds of reasons people live near a volcano. The reasons are similar to why people live near other hazards. People tend to live where they have roots, regardless of the potential risks. Fortunately, scientists have set up risk assessments.
For example, scientists have developed an extensive series of protocols for the residents living near the Soufriere Hills Volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. This volcano was dormant for almost one hundred years before becoming active again in 1995, and has continued to erupt ever since. It eruptions have resulted in over half of Montserrat becoming uninhabitable. There are those who have remained, though. In response to the few that have stubbornly refused to leave their home, scientists founded what eventually became the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) immediately after the first phreatic explosions on July 18, 1995 (MVO.ms n.p.).
As a result of the MVO’s research, the Soufriere Hills Volcano has become one of the most closely monitored volcanoes in the world. Monitoring of this volcano is done by measuring the deformation of its flanks and dome, by measuring the ambient Sulphur dioxide concentrations at ground level, by recording and analyzing volcanic earthquakes, and by visual observations (“Monitoring n.p.). The MVO publishes their regular reports and risk assessments on their website, and prints leaflets and posters to disseminate throughout the island. The Montserrat government and the MVO have adopted risks assessments since the 1995 eruption, the most recent version being the “Hazard Level System,” which has been used since August 2008. It divides the southern two-thirds of