CASE STUDY - IMPACTS volcanoes Indonesia

Question 1

about indonesia and volcanoes

Answer 1

• around 80 active volaconoes
• more than 75% of indonesias population live within 100km of a volcano which has erupted in the last 10,000 years
• indonesia has suffered more fatality casuing eruptions that any other country in the world
• alot of indonesia’s culture, history and peoples experience are closely ties to volcanoes

Question 2

indonesia’s tectonic setting

Answer 2

• widespread subduction along the entire 3000 km length of the archipelago
• Much of indonesia is an island arc formed by the subduction of the indo-australian plate beneath the eurasion plate

Question 3

Merapi, Indonesia
context/history

Answer 3

• strato-volcanoe reaching nearly 3000m in altidude
• highly active 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2006
• on each occasion a dome developed in the crater which then collapsed to form pyroclastic flows
• force of these were 3-4 VEI

Question 4

26 oct - 11 nov 2010
eruption

Answer 4

• VEI 4
• pyroclastic flows extended 11.5 km to the west, and 15km south as well as significant distances east and north
• lava bombs were thrown 4km from the summit in all directions
• eruption took place at the start of rainy season resulting in lahars fud by ash

Question 5

26 oct - 11 nov 2010
eruption impacts

Answer 5

• ash fall forced the closure of Yogyakarta airport for over a fortnight
• huge areas experienced acid rain caused by the emmissions of sulphur dioxide
• 367 killed
• 277 injured
  -410,000 became refugees
• large numbers of livestock killed
• [130 million km3] ash fall and pyroclastic flows killed acres of crops and infrastructure such as power lines, buildings and bridges