Dangerous Places Around the World
By: Maggie Steinkuehler, Halley Horne, and Periann Larsen
Introduction
Big Island, Hawaii
The Big Island of Hawaii is home of many attractions for tourism. One of them includes the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park which is home of the Kilauea Volcano. People enjoy this area for many reasons. The Big Island of Hawaii has many beautiful sights to see, and many places to visit.
Tectonic Plates
Hawaii’s islands are cause by hot spots. It is not located on a plate boundary but is nearly 4,000 kilometers away from the nearest one. The islands are in the middle of the Pacific Plate. Hawaii has had tectonic activity in the past but not lately.
Tectonic Activity
The Kilauea volcano has been erupting non stop since 1983. The eruptions are not huge, but they are overflowed lava. It’s deadliest eruption was in 2008 and killed nearly 400 people. The lava has destroyed about 181 homes and covered 13 km of highways.
Stromboli, Italy
A small volcanic island in the midst of all the Aeolian Islands, just north of Sicily, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea is home to one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Around 400 to 750 people inhabit this island. There are two villages on this island; Stromboli and Ginostra. These villages sit right on a relaxing black sand beach. Swimming in the sea, and hiking up the Strombolian Volcano in which is the one of the only volcanoes that can be seen “up close and personal” are the exclusive activities found on this island. Markets, hotels, and shops are created for the many tourists. The many tourists are what provide the locals with such a steady income.
Tectonic Plates
This island lies on a convergent boundary. The Strombolian volcano is formed when the African plate collides with and slides under the Eurasian plate. Where these plates collide, the surface melts and turns into magma. As this magma melts into the earth’s core a hole is created. Out of this hole flows the less, dense hot magma, and when this magma reaches the ocean floor it hardens creating a type of landmass. This process continues until it has formed a large volcano. The formation at this boundary is called subduction, which is where one plate subdues, or goes under, the other one. This island also lays on a major fault line; which is another contributing detail to the major activity. All of these factors added together make it only sensible that this volcano has been constantly erupting for well over two thousand years.
Tectonic Activity
Many think the volcanoes eruption is all one will encounter, damage wise, but that is totally wrong. Stromboli has been erupting for more than 2,000 years and shows no signs of becoming dormant. Every hour several eruptions occur. It ranks a 1-3 on the VEI scale, because some eruptions are quiet while others are explosive. Only around 10 to 20 people have been killed or injured by the Strombolian volcano and its side effects. Volcanoes can cause side effects such as landslides, debris, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. Stromboli’s main struggles are landslides in which crash into the coastline rocks so hard tsunamis are created. These tsunamis damage the village’s buildings and boats; but there is no record of people being injured or killed by them. Random explosions of massive debris also cause problems towards the health of all things living on this island. There also have been a few incidents were huge ton blocks shoot out of the volcano and land on the buildings and such in these villages. Avalanches also occur on occasion. Another main struggle this island suffers is from the massive amounts of lava flow from the giant volcano. These lava slides damage several boats, roads, and buildings. Stromboli, Italy is one of the safer volcanic islands to live on, but there are many other safer places to live in the world.
Crater Lake, Oregon
Crater Lake, oregon is a very active city. Even though it’s a dangerous place there are many reasons why people stay there. Crater Lake has inspired people for thousands of years. Nowhere on earth has a deep pure lake so blue in color. There are cliffs that are two thousand feet high. In Crater Lake there are two islands and a very dangerous past of earthquakes.
Tectonic Plates
Crater Lake has lots of different boundaries. Crater Lake is located in Oregon in the south central area. It is a main feature of Crater Lake National Park. It is 286.3 square miles. Oregon has lots of different plate tectonics.
Tectonic Activity
Crater Lake is very dangerous. People choose to live around there even though it’s a dangerous place because it very beautiful surroundings. People could be die in their homes because they don’t know there’s going to be an earthquake or volcano. Mud or ash collapse houses roofs the power is so strong. The people that live there never know that there will be a volcano or earthquake around Crater Lake.
Conclusion
Now, what truly makes a place dangerous?
Sources
Big Island, Hawaii
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Stromboli, Italy
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Crater Lake, Oregon
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