on April 15, 2022

What plate boundary caused the Soufriere Hills volcano?

Geology

convergent plate boundaryconvergent plate boundary; where the Atlantic Plate is subducting under the Caribbean plate. In the plate tectonics, a convergent boundry is a deforming region where two (or more) tectonic plates of lithosphere move toward each other and collide.Soufriere Hills is formed by a convergent plate boundaryconvergent plate boundaryA convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a plane where many earthquakes occur, called the Wadati–Benioff zone.

What caused the La Soufriere Hills volcano to erupt?

The explosive eruption was triggered by about 30% of the dome avalanching away in the previous 12 hours which decompressed gas-rich magma deeper in the volcano. This explosion is used as a reference event later in this assessment. Dome growth recommenced two weeks after the explosive eruption on 17 September 1996.

What plate boundary is Montserrat volcano?

Montserrat, a tiny volcanic island barely 100 km2 in area, is part of a chain of volcanic islands making up the Lesser Antilles in the eastern part of the Caribbean basin. The islands form an arc just west of the convergent part of the plate boundary separating the Caribbean plate and the North American plate.

How was the Montserrat volcano formed?

Montserrat is part of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc, which is formed by the subduction of the Atlantic tectonic plate below the Caribbean plate. Most of the islands in the arc have andesitic volcanoes, which tend to produce explosive eruptions and lava domes.

What tectonic plate is Soufriere St Vincent on?

Tectonic Setting

As noted above, both Mt. Pelée and La Soufrière St. Vincent are located on the Caribbean Plate in the Lesser Antilles. The Caribbean Plate is thick oceanic crust located between the North American and South American Plates.

What are the two plates responsible for tectonic activity in Montserrat?

Montserrat is one of the Lesser Antilles Islands, an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea, north of South America. Many of the islands are volcanic, and their location roughly traces the edge of the Caribbean Plate along its boundary with the tectonic plates (North and South American Plates) beneath the Atlantic Ocean.

What type of eruption is La Soufrière?

La Soufrière (volcano)

La Soufrière
Mountain type Stratovolcano (active)
Volcanic arc/belt Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc
Last eruption December 27, 2020 – April 22, 2021
Climbing

What type of volcano is Soufriere Hills?

stratovolcano

Soufriere Hills is a stratovolcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, solidified ash, and rocks ejected by previous eruptions. After the seventeenth century, the volcano experienced no recorded eruptions until 1995, when a series of major eruptions eventually destroyed the island’s capital city, Plymouth.

Where is Soufriere Hills volcano located?

island of Montserrat

Soufriere Hills volcano is a dominantly andesitic structure located on the small Caribbean island of Montserrat [MAP] which is located in the north section of the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc.



When did Soufrière Hills start erupting?

July 18, 1995

A faint, tan plume of ash drifted west from the Soufriere Hills Volcano on April 24, 2006. Located on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat, the volcano had been quiet since 1630 until it erupted spectacularly starting on July 18, 1995.

When did Soufrière Hills First erupt?

In the West Indies, the Soufriere Hills Volcano on the island of Montserrat erupted explosively between July 12-14, 2003, causing collapse of portions of the volcanic dome and creating huge pyroclastic flows (fast-moving clouds of hot ash and rock) that spread 2 kilometers out over the ocean.