Volcanic Eruption Case study LIC…Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines, 1991…
(source: https://pubs.usgs.gov)
Syllabus Point:
- Two contemporary contrasting case studies each for volcanic hazards, earthquake hazards and mass movement hazards (see guidance above)
- For each geophysical hazard type, the case studies should develop knowledge and understanding of:
- geophysical hazard event profiles, including any secondary hazards
- varied impacts of these hazards on different aspects of human well-being
- why levels of vulnerability varied both between and within communities, including spatial variations in hazard perception, personal knowledge and preparedness
A Case Study Investigation Structure for my Notes…
Starter: From the below piece of writing pick out the secondary hazards that took place because of the volcanic eruption? identify, using SEEP, some of the impacts of these hazards…
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Following Mount Pinatubo’s cataclysmic June 15, 1991, eruption, thousands of roofs collapsed under the weight of ash made wet by heavy rains (see example in photo above). Ash deposits from the eruption have also been remobilized by monsoon and typhoon rains to form giant mudflows of volcanic materials (lahars), which have caused more destruction than the eruption itself (photo at right shows village buried by lahars). (Photo above courtesy of Peter Baxter, University of Cambridge. |
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(source: https://pubs.usgs.gov)
Task: Conducting your own case study investigation…Use your classic 5W Enquiry technique and investigate the Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption geophysical hazard…(note – structure of task sourced from www.geographyalltheway.com)…
Where did it happen?
- Write a description of where it took place…
- Include a map of the location with vital geographical points of interest…
- Produce a sketch map of digital print off (or both) of the location (you should highlight the epicentre of the event)…
(source: Google Image Search)
(source: Google Image Search)
When did it happen?
- Date
- Time (local)
- Duration
- Include the sequence of events (like a timeline) to show the speed of onset and the pace of management and recovery
Why did it happen?
- The physical geographical reasons why the hazard took place…
- What’S it’s tectonic setting?
- Produce a diagram of the tectonic processes involved
Use the below links to help discover the When and the Why of the this Volcanic Hazard Event…
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/
Who was affected?
- What were the impacts of the hazard event?
- Use SEEP to categorize the impacts…
Social
Economical
Environmental
Political
- The Development Compass research tool…

What happened?
- Describe the management of the hazard event – before, during and after?
- Planning, preparation, prediction, hazard mapping, evacuation, warnings.
- Help with recovery, aid – local, regional and international, role of NGOs.
- Finally – produce a one paragraph summary of the hazard event.