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INTRODUCTION
Mt Pelee is known to be one of the most deadly composite or (strato) volcanos on earth. It
belongs to a classic island arc between Puerto Rico and Venezuela in South America. The arc
spreads out about 530 miles long, positioned where the Caribbean and the Atlantic plate
converge together, forming what is known as a subduction zone. Mt Pelee itself is located on
the island of Martinique in the West Indies positioned in-between North and South America
and is 4,582 ft (1,397 m) ion size.
Mt Pelee is most famous for its violent eruption in 1902, destroying towns including
the city of Saint Pierre, due to pyroclastic flows and land slides in which tragically took away
the lives of thousands, although in moving forward scientist have been able to research and
discover more information on how volcanoes and pyroclastic flows work and how they effect
earth and all that live on this planet. Mt Pelee surely should not have been underestimated.
WARNING SIGNS
From 1889, all warning signs were present. Fumaroles were reported at the summit, sulphur
was released in the air due to rising magma and rumbling vibrated the earth. Steam rose and
volcanic ash erupted and yet no one evacuated. On April 27 mountaineers climbed the
volcano to find Étang Sec filled with water, boiling from the heat of the volcano, the
banks holding the water melted and gave way causing a mud flow.
TECTONIC PLATE SETTING
CHARACTERISTICS OF CONVERGENT PLATES
The Atlantic and Caribbean convergent plates are estimated to move at least 2cm every
year. This type of plate boundary forms what is known as a subduction zone. Also you find
oceanic trenches, where the plates converge one of the plate’s slides underneath into the
mantle, in this case the Atlantic plate sinking underneath the Caribbean plate causes it to melt
and thus creating magma to form, feeding the volcano. This also forms Island Arcs which is a
row of mountains that have been forced up by the Caribbean plate and the Atlantic plate when
they converge, an example of this can be found on the island of Martinique.
MOUNT PELEES’ ERUPTION OF 1902
There had been at least 30 eruptions recorded by vulcanologists dating back at least
5,000 years ago. The Authorities knew the volcano of Mt Pelee was alive and active, but
failed to warn anyone of the tragic events that were about to occur. In 1902, Mt. Pelee had
three violent eruptions, recorded on the dates of 8 May, 20 May, and 30 August, Mt Pelee
shook Martinique with powerful pyroclatic flows, releasing large amounts of ash, spitting
rock and hot gas, fluidized in one body like a giant cloud, and it devastated an area larger than
22 sq miles from Grand Riviere to Schooelcher.
The ash from pyroclastic flows can get as hot as 100-800 degrees Celsius, past
boiling point and when blasted out from the volcano it can be a deadly combination. There are
two types of eruptions, “quiet eruption” and “violent eruption”. The eruption of Mt Pelee was
violent, this is caused when the vent of the volcano is blocked from past eruptions, and it’s
composed of dense ash and settled lava which has cooled. When magma builds up, the heat
and gases build up under pressure, some signs are when the mountain deforms and changes
from its regular structure but in 1902 they did not have this kind of technology to read these
warnings nor on the small island did they have people qualified enough to know that Mt Pelee
was about to erupt.
DESCRIPTOIN
Mt Pelee is a composite volcano also known as a (stratovolcano) they are usually
very tall and are composed of hardened lava and volcanic ash, composite volcanoes are steep
due to the structure of the lava, Mt Pelee was formed from viscous magma, this molten rock is
very thick and wont travel far before it is cooled, because of the nature of these volcanoes the
vent inside is easily blocked, when the magma rises due to the plates which melt into the
mantle, it will build up this pressure, as it builds up the vent which it blocked from ash and
hardened lava, will give way, this will cause massive explosions and the ash and settled lava
will be thrown into the air. In the year 1902 Mt Pelee experienced several.
1902 ERUPTION
(STRUCTURE OF MT PELEE COMPOSITIE CONE)
HOW THE ERRUPTION AFFECTED THE PEOPLE
Only two people who were in the city survived the eruption, one man by the
name of Cyparis who was a convicted felon in a Saint Pierre prison. The second
survivor in St. Pierre, Leon Compère wasn’t as well known. He was in his house
under the volcano on the opposite side to where it erupted, both suffering severe
burns. The rest of the 28 000-29000 tragically died. It is still unsure why the people
surrounding Mt Pelee didn’t evacuate, some reasons suggest that the governing
comities needed the population to vote for next head governor, and other suggestions
convey that there were no vulcanologist lived in Martinique at the time, or this could
be the combination of both.
The city of Saint Pierre was completely abandoned until 1923 the area of St.
Pierre developed as a neighbourhood attracted by the cheap price of land and the
touristy activity. It now has a population of about 6,000. Saint Pierre still bares the
scars of the 1902 disaster, a reminder of how powerful the nature of mother earth can
hit and have no mercy on those who get in her way. Cyparis shows his severe burns
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY
Mt Pelee today sits quietly above the city of Saint Pierre and North Country side of
Martinique, it is luscious green and still has steam blowing out the vent it truly is a
beautiful view. Martinique now has a population of around about 30 000 and a
popular tourist attraction.