Activity 5 NOVA Pinatubo (1)
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Dec 6, 2023
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Uploaded by MajorHeatBadger36
Leah Bickert
EGGS 107 Natural Disasters
Dr. Beyer
Activity 5:
“NOVA: In the Path of a Killer Volcano” video
Answer the following questions while watching the video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCBoYQyawWg
1.
Where is Mount Pinatubo located?
In what year did this eruption take place?
What is the tectonic
origin of this volcanic activity?
Mount Pinatubo is in Central Luzon, and it is the tripoint boundary of the Philippine provinces of
Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991 and it is an ocean-ocean
subduction-related volcano formed by the Eurasian Plate.
2.
Why are American scientists so concerned about Pinatubo?
What other natural threat were they
facing?
American Scientists are concerned about Mount Pinatubo because it is located near the United
States Air Force and Naval Bases. They were also facing the issue of volcanic debris which was gas-
charged and dangerous.
3.
What do the sulfur dioxide emissions tell about the volcano’s activity?
Sulfur dioxide can tell us more about when a volcano is going to erupt. It measures seismic activity
and ground deformation, and scientists monitoring satellite data can potentially pick up noticeable
increases in gas emissions that may precede eruptions.
4.
What other evidence was there of the volcano’s past activity?
Thousands of small earthquakes occurred beneath Pinatubo through April, May, and early June, and
many thousand tons of noxious sulfur dioxide gas were also emitted by the volcano.
5.
Volcanoes that erupt infrequently are most likely to erupt _
violently
_.
6.
Why were scientists reluctant to give an order to evacuate the area around Mt. Pinatubo?
How did
this situation relate to Mt. St. Helens 11 years earlier?
The scientist was not 100% certain that the volcano was going to erupt. Since Mount St. Helens was
expected to erupt but didn't, the locals were furious and difficult to forgive, and scientists were
concerned that Mt. Pinatubo would have a similar fate eleven years ago, this situation is
comparable to that of Mount St. Helens.
7.
Describe the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in terms of eruptive style, erupted materials, volcanic
hazards.
10 miles wide, pyroclastic flows, lightning within its own weather, showering pebbles and stones,
pumice balls, and muck, a massive explosion that blasted debris thousands of feet into the air.
8.
Based on your newly-gained knowledge of volcanic activity (i.e. lecture), was the magma under
Pinatubo high, medium or low viscosity?
Was it basaltic, andesitic, or rhyolitic magma?
How do you
know?
According to what I've learned about volcanic activity since the lecture, the lava beneath Mount
Pinatubo probably had a high viscosity and contained rhyolitic material. I am aware of this since the
magma from volcanoes is more viscous and stickier, making it harder for the explosive to escape.
Additionally, I am aware that higher viscosities, such as the one on Mt. Pinatubo, contain more silica
and cause the magma to be rhyolitic.
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