TheSocietalEffectsofVolcanoes.doc

The Societal Effects of VolcanoesVolcanoes are known for their violent eruptions and lava flows, but there are many benefits that volcanoes provide for society. Volcanoes help enrich soil for farming and in some cases provide reservoirs for the storage of ground water (Chester 186). Moreover the earths valuable resources are formed in volcanoes. These elements include fluorine, sulfur, zinc, copper, lead, arsenic, tin, molybdenum, uranium, tungsten, silver, mercury, and gold (Chester 186). Society makes use of all of these elements that volcanoes help to provide. Geothermal power is an alternate energy source that is better for the environment and volcanoes provide this to society also. Volcanoes even help us understand past civilizations and cultures. The lava preserves fossils and artifacts that scientists can learn from (Chester 186). The picture below is a fossilized fish that was preserved by volcanoes. There are five gases that are produced by volcanic activity. All of these gases are harmful except for water vapor. These five gases are water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, fluorine, and chlorine. Carbon dioxide is one of the main causes of the Greenhouse effect, but there are not significant amounts for the carbon dioxide emitted from volcanic eruptions to contribute to the Greenhouse effect. Humanity is responsible for emitting 110 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, while volcanoes only contribute 10 billion tons (Fisher). Sulfur dioxide can have a short-term effect on the weather. A sulfuric acid aerosol can remain in the atmosphere for years after an eruption (Fisher). This aerosol blocks the sun and causes cooler temperatures globally. The sulfur dioxide eventually depletes, but is replenished by each eruption rich in sulfur dioxide. Fluorine can be a deadly to animals after an eruption. It tends to condense in rain and coat grasses and plants (Fisher). The fluorine is poisonous to animals that eat the fluorine-coated grass and plants. Chlorine is emitted as hydrochloric acid into the atmosphere. Chlorine destroys the ozone layer that protects the DNA of plants and animals (Fisher). Water vapor is the only one of these gases that helps society by replenishing the water supply. There are many hazards from volcanic eruptions. The different kinds of hazards can be lava flows, pyroclastic fall deposits, volcanic gases, tsunamis, and many more (Chester 193). Lava flows have killed a relatively small number of people. The majority of the damage to society from volcanoes is economic, agricultural, and settlements can be ruined (Chester 186). The damages can be increased with the change of human population is certain areas. The more people that live in hazardous areas, the higher the risk is. A way to limit the hazards is the prediction of eruptions. There are two options for predicting volcanic activity: general prediction and specific prediction. General prediction is the study of past volcanic activity that can predict the frequency, magnitude, and style of eruptions (Chester 196). Specific prediction focuses on predicting the actual time of eruptions. This time is found based on surveillance of the volcano and monitoring its changes (Chester 194). The success of prediction depends on a lot of time and money that puts more advanced nations ahead of the poorer countries. Many people believe that there is action that should be taken on an international level to improve the monitoring of volcanoes. They propose that we use satellites to keep an eye on the shape of volcanoes. Mass production of seismographs, tiltmeters, and gas detectors would observe seismic activity, ground deformation, and gas emission (Chester 192). These advancements would possibly help to figure out how volcanic plumbing works. Scientists also suggest that we test climatic change and study ice cores to find emissions from past eruptions (Chester 192). All of these options would help us maintain a low risk factor for future eruptions. Volcanoes provide a multitude of benefits that unfortunately bring high risks with them. Do volcanoes have a positive or negative effect on society? The answer to this question does not have a black and white answer. There are the positive effects of enriched soil and their help in creating earths early atmospheres and minerals. The negative effects seem to over power the positive ones on the short term. The risk of possible death and serious injury is frightening, but not that common of an effect. The real negative effects come from the gases emitted during volcanic eruptions. Chlorine and sulfur dioxide are extremely harmful to the Earth and its environment, but man needs to stop polluting to help limit the effects of volcanoes. The eruptions of Mount St. Helens in 1980 are a good example of the effects on society of volcanic activity. On March 27, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted, creating an ash plume about two kilometers above the volcano and an eighty-meter wide crater (Tilling 99). In the next few weeks there were more violent eruptions that emitted and ash column 24 kilometers into the atmosphere and approximately 1.1 kilometers of ash was ejected (Tilling 99). The human casualties of these eruptions are 57 lives lost, and numerous injuries. There was over $1 billion dollars in damages to the communities surrounding Mount St. Helens. Many communication and transportation systems were disrupted due to the eruptions. The tourist industry was greatly effected immediately following the eruptions, but now the volcano has become a tourist attraction. Volcanoes are natur