VOLCANIC ERUPTION

An Emergency Disaster

What is a volcano?
an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or crust, which allows hot magma, volcanic ash and gases to escape from below the surface.

Volcanoes
Volcanoes vary quite a bit in their structure - some are cracks in the earth's crust where lava erupts, and some are domes, shields, or mountain-like structures with a crater at the summit.

Volcanic Eruption
An eruption begins when pressure on a magma chamber forces magma up through the conduit and out the volcano's vents.

Volcanic eruptions arise through three main mechanisms:

Gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions occurs during explosive decompression from gas release.

Volcanic eruptions arise through three main mechanisms:

Thermal contraction from chilling on contact with water causing phreatomagmatic eruptions, eruptions as a result of interaction between water and magma.

Volcanic eruptions arise through three main mechanisms:

Ejection of entrained particles during steam eruptions causing phreatic eruptions, occurs when rising magma makes contact with ground or surface water.

Incidence
Local There are 14 volcanoes present in Mindanao. Fortunately most of it have not erupted since the holocene periodand are considered inactive or potentially active. Seven of it namely: Calayo; Hibok-hibok; Leonard Kniassef; Parker; Matutum; Makaturing and Ragang are considered active volcanoes and have erupted during the past century.

Incidence
National The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7100 islands. Most of these islands are of volcanic origin. There are 37 volcanoes in the Philippines, of which 18 are still active volcanoes. It means that an eruption occurred in the last decennia and that a new eruption can be expected in the future.

Incidence
All the other volcanoes are 'sleeping' or 'dead' volcanoes. Scientists think that an eruption of these volcanoes is unlikely. The most known volcanoes in the Philippines are Mount Pinatubo, Mount Mayon and the Taal volcano. They are all located on the Northern island Luzon.

Incidence
Mayon Volcano is considered the most active volcano because it has erupted 50 times. Its 48th and latest major eruption was a quiet effusion of lava on July 14, 2006. A further summit eruption occurred on August 10, 2008. Starting in January 2011, the volcano is weakly erupting and may be building up to a larger hazardous eruption.

Mt. Mayon

Incidence
Global More than 500 volcanoes are known to have erupted on the earth's surface since historic times, and many more have erupted on the ocean floor unobserved by humans. Fifty volcanoes have erupted in the United States, which ranks third, behind Indonesia and Japan, in the number of historically active volcanoes.

Incidence
Of the world's active volcanoes, more than half are found around the perimeter of the Pacific, about a third on midoceanic islands and in an arc along the south of the Indonesian islands, and about a tenth in the Mediterranean area, Africa, and Asia Minor.

Incidence
One of the recent volcanic eruptions is the eruption of Eyjafjallajkull in Iceland which caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010.

Eyjafjallajkull Eruption

How to Survive

Things to prepare:
1. Put together an emergency supply kit: First aid kit and manual Emergency food and water Manual (nonelectric) can opener Essential medicines Sturdy shoes Respiratory (breathing) protection Eye protection (goggles) Battery-powered radio Flashlight

First Aid Kit

Emergency Food and Water

Manual Can Opener

Essential Medicines

Sturdy Shoes

Respiratory Protection

Eye protection

Battery-Operated Radio

Flashlight with Batteries

Additional items needed

Create an emergency kit specifically for your car. It should include maps, tools, a first aid kit if you haven't already packed one with your other emergency supplies, a fire extinguisher, flares, additional non-perishable food, booster cables, sleeping bags and/or emergency blankets, and a flashlight.

Nurses Role
Pre hospital Do appropriate triaging of the victims involved in the disaster, use resources to those who can benefit it more. Protect people and property. Before an eruption occurs, take any vulnerable people (children, the old, the sick, and the disabled)away from the immediate area.

Nurses Role
Comply strictly with the evacuation advice given. Authorities will recommend that families take with them the emergency supplies they have prepared. Keep calm, do not panic. Give first aid to the injured and alert the emergency services in case of fire, burst pipes, etc. Do not go simply to look at the stricken areas: this will hamper rescue work.

Nurses Role
Keep emergency packages and a radio near at hand.

Nurses Role

Nurses Role
Hospital Do appropriate triage assessment of the victims. Prioritize those who are in need of immediate intervention. Counsel those significant others who have loss a family member or loved one. Render interventions to provide needs of the victims.

Nurses Role
Collaborate with the healthcare team to provide appropriate interventions. Expect the worst during calamities.

Nurses Role

Medias Role
The media should give an up to date information on what is happening. Social media users try to do their part by forwarding information. Social media helps monitor and address issues in disaster situations and recovery. The media should bring the latest news regarding the situation.

Medias Role

References
Brunner and Suddarths Medical Surgical Nursing Textbook. http://socialmediatoday.com/saysdavid/261898/role-onlineand-social-media-natural-disasters http://nursingparadise.blogspot.com/2008/12/disastermanagement-and-nurses-role.html http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/erupt.php