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Natural Hazards -Non Weather

Montserrat Soufriere Volcano

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A natural hazard is a threat of a naturally occurring event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment. Many natural hazards are interrelated, e.g. earthquakes can cause tsunamis. Be aware of non-weather related hazards that could impact your cruise.

Active Volcanoes - Caribbean

Kick-em'-Jenny, Grenadines

Sub-marine volcano near the Grenadines. The most recent eruption was 2001.

Soufrière Volcano, Guadeloupe.

The most recent eruption was 1977.

Mont Pelée, Martinique.

Most recent eruption took place from 1929 to 1932.

Soufrière Hills, Montserrat.

Most recent eruption was 2010.

La Soufrière, St. Vincent.

 Most recent eruption was 1979.

 Active Volcanoes - Worldwide

Source: Wikipedia

It is difficult to distinguish an extinct volcano from a dormant one. Volcanoes are often considered to be extinct if there are no written records of its activity. Nevertheless, volcanoes may remain dormant for a long period of time.

Extinct volcanoes are those that scientists consider unlikely to erupt again, because the volcano no longer has a lava supply. Examples of extinct volcanoes are many volcanoes on the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain in the Pacific Ocean, Hohentwiel, Shiprock and the Zuidwal volcano in the Netherlands. Edinburgh Castle in Scotland is famously located atop an extinct volcano. Otherwise, whether a volcano is truly extinct is often difficult to determine.

Notable Volcanoes

The Decade Volcanoes are 16 volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas. They are named Decade Volcanoes because the project was initiated as part of the United Nations-sponsored International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.

The 16 current Decade Volcanoes are:

Avachinsky-Koryaksky, Kamchatka, Russia
Nevado de Colima, Jalisco and Colima, Mexico
Santa Maria/Santiaguito, Guatemala
Sakurajima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Galeras, Nariño, Columbia
Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
Vesuvius, Naples, Italy
Santorini, Cyclades, Greece
Taal Volcano, Luzon, Philuppines
Teide, Canary Islands, Spain
Ulawun, New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA
Mount Rainier, Washington,USA

Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of water waves that is caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean. The original Japanese term literally translates as "harbor wave." Underwater earthquakes pose a threat of generating tsunamis which could have a devastating effect on the Caribbean islands. Scientific data reveals that over the last 500 years the area has seen a dozen earthquakes above 7.5 magnitude.

Perspective view of the sea floor of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Lesser Antilles are on the lower left side of the view and Florida is on the upper right. The purple sea floor at the center of the view is the Puerto Rico trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

According to an article published by ScienceDaily *

"The threat of major earthquakes in the Caribbean, and the possibility of a resulting tsunami, are real even though the risks are small in the bigger picture," Brink said. "Local earthquakes, such as from the fault on Hispaniola, or effects from distant earthquakes can be severe. Landslides and volcanic eruptions can also cause major earthquakes and potential tsunamis in this region. The Puerto Rico Trench, which is capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 7 to 8 or greater, faces north and east into the Atlantic Ocean. There are few land areas or islands to block a tsunami generated near the Puerto Rico Trench from entering the Atlantic Ocean. The direction of the waves would depend on many factors, including where in the trench the earthquake occurred."

Early warning systems pose a problem in the Caribbean so local authorities ask that residents and visitors pay attention to nature and be aware of escape routes to the hills. Officials say that if you feel an earthquake beneath your feet strong enough to make you wobble or fall down, and the quake lasts more than 20 seconds, move to higher ground.

* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (2005, February 8). Major Caribbean Earthquakes And Tsunamis A Real Risk.

Earthquakes

An earthquake (also known as a tremor or temblor) is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph. The moment magnitude (or the related and mostly obsolete Richter magnitude) of an earthquake is conventionally reported, with magnitude 3 or lower earthquakes being mostly imperceptible and magnitude 7 causing serious damage over large areas. Ordinarily, subduction earthquakes under magnitude 7.5 on the Richter scale do not

Early warning systems pose a problem in the Caribbean so local authorities ask that residents and visitors pay attention to nature and be aware of escape routes to the hills. Officials say that if you feel an earthquake beneath your feet strong enough to make you wobble or fall down, and the quake lasts more than 20 seconds, move to higher ground.

cause tsunamis, although some instances of this have been recorded. Most destructive tsunamis are caused by earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 or more.

* Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (2005, February 8). Major Caribbean Earthquakes And Tsunamis A Real Risk. . Retrieved October 6, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2005/02/050205102502.htm

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