Mount Fuji; An Impending Disaster

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One major way that Japan has started to prepare for the volcano is creating an evacuation plan. This evacuation plan goes through the prefectures of Shizuoka, Yamanashi, and Kanagawa. These prefectural governments have set to prepare for the possible eruption. The plan calls for 750,000 people to leave their homes due to lava and pyroclastic flows. 750,000 people is a big number and it makes me wonder where all these people will go. On top of this number another 470,000 will need to evacuate because of the volcanic ash in the air. Kanagawa is the prefecture most heavily affected, not only by lava flows but also by volcanic ash. Even more people are still affected by the volcanic ash. The evacuation plan states 8.85 million people live in areas where 2 cm or more of volcanic ash is expected to fall. This volcanic ash is going to affect people’s health. A major flaw I read within the evacuation plan is it doesn’t assume an eruption after a major earthquake. This could be a big issue going forward because many times in the past, earthquakes have caused volcanic eruptions. The evacuation plan shows good numbers and data on the people affected. But, in my opinion, they could still be clearer on when to expect the eruption and how it will further affect the people living in the region. After volcanoes erupt, significant amounts of dangerous and toxic gasses can enter the atmosphere such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. It is a good thing Japan has an evacuation plan and is ready to clear people of the area because the environment and personal health are going to be affected. These factors of health and pollution where affected in the 2011 during the Fukushima nuclear power plant incident. The Fukushima incident showed that natura... ... middle of paper ... ...Mount Fuji Eruption? The Watchers, Retrieved from http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2012/09/09/mount-fuji-under-pressure-last-eruption/ Koichi (2013, August 27) Mt. Fuji The Ticking Timebomb. Togugu.com, Retrieved from http://www.tofugu.com/2013/08/27/is-mt-fuji-ready-to-blow/ Klemetti, E. (2009, March 11) How Volcanoes Affect the Economy. Scienceblogs.com. retrieved from http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2009/03/11/how-volcanoes-affect-the-econo/ Evacuation plan prepared for mt. fuji eruption. (2014, Feb 06). Jiji Press English News Service. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1494797713?accountid=12598 Japan: Magma chamber of mt. fuji immensely pressured by quakes in 2011. (2012, Sep 08). Asia News Monitor. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1038354568?accountid=12598

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