Montserrat island is located in a 50 million year old subduction zone. This is an area where one of the earth's oceanic plates is forced beneath a more buoyant plate. Fluids rich in water and dissolved minerals are taken out of the crust that is being driven into the earth's mantle by the extreme temperatures and pressure. When the fluids rise they cause the overlying mantle to melt and form magma. The magma erupts along the subduction zone and eventually builds up on itself and forms vol

http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/west.indies/soufriere/govt/images/forty.jpg

Volcanic activity cannot be predicted. Different things happen with different volcanoes and none are the same. Looking back at the volcanoes recent history, it may be safe to assume that the volcano will continue to erupt for a number of years. No one can actually be certain what exactly the volcano will do in the years to come. It may decide to settle down for another four centuries. The only thing that anyone can really do is watch what happens and try to keep the people on the island safe.

Since the volcano began erupting in 1995, the lives of the people on the island have changed greatly. Soufriere Hills was once covered in thick forests and Montserrat was big on agricultural trade. Now many of the island's villages including all of the vill

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Approximate Word count = 566
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)