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Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom 144

European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 11, Issue 2, April-2023

content of surrounding surface soils, samples of surface ash layers and nearby

creeks were obtained from 7 regions and 3 free-flowing creeks and subjected

mineral analysis. The surface ash specimens contained abundant amounts of the

nutrients Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Sulfur, and non-nutrient Aluminum,

intermediate amounts of potassium, Phosphorous, and Manganese, and small

amounts of Boron, Copper and Zinc. Creek water runoff originating from higher

elevations was consistently acidic with a healthy mean pH of 5.1, and contained

smaller proportions of the same minerals, reflective of their relative effective

solubility in the acidic water. Thus, the volcanic ash flow while devastating to the

environment and public health in the immediate aftermath, provided numerous

minerals important to plant and animal nutrition and to human health and health

water sources which contributed to the longer-term reinstitution of edible plants

and to the recovery of the vibrant lush greenery of the Emerald Isle of the

Caribbean.

Keywords: Volcanic Ash, Soils, Minerals, Montserrat

INTRODUCTION

Plant nutrition is heavily dependent on the surface soils mineral and sediment composition,

such that it can retain sufficient water and bioavailable nutrients throughout the periods of

sunlight and darkness to support the accompanying growths of vegetative species and ground

organisms. The soil may obtain additional essential nutrients from decaying plants and animal

matter that can leach into and contribute to the fertilization of the environment.1-3 The sources

of the nutritive content of the surface soils used in agriculture and in natural growths of plant

life typically derive from environmental conditions supported by fertilization and exogenous

water supplementation to replace consumed nutrients that may have become depleted during

repeated agricultural operations or other seasonal environmental events. Effective crop

rotation can often minimize the impact and urgency of soil depletion, but artificial replacement

may still be required on a timely schedule. Volcanic soils have a well-earned reputation as

potentially valuable sources of minerals and essential micronutrients for agriculture, and that

over time may contribute to the development of nutrient rich soils known as andisols that are

capable of supporting abundant new plant and aquatic growth for decades during prolonged

periods of volcanic recovery.1-3 The consistency of the volcanic particulates when blended into

the agricultural layers can also assist in the hydration of the soils. Most Volcanic ash is made of

tiny jagged low density rock fragments of varying diameter, most less than 0.2 mm in diameter,

plus finer dust particles as small as 0.2 μm in diameter which like the larger particles are

virtually insoluble in water but can add to a hydration matrix that is conducive to penetration

by natural or added water sources.4,5 The larger, more coarse particles of volcanic ash have the

consistency and feel like grains of sand and can help to ‘break up’ the soil and assist hydration

when blended into the agricultural layer. The acidic nature of the aqueous runoff provides a

healthy mineral enriched water source for plants and animals indigenous to the area. While the

very fine particles are blended into the mixture, they contribute a smooth and powdery

consistency and can assist the soils by binding other constituents. Electronics including

computers are susceptible to the adverse effects of volcanic ash, as the smallest particulates

have the capability of penetrating the most innermost parts of computers, electronics, aircraft

engines, machinery and other finely manufactured surfaces where then can form an

impermeable surface covering often contributing to instrument or mechanical failure.6,7

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Tulp, O. L., Sainvil, F., Branly, R., Sciranka, A., Guibert, R., & Einstein, G. P. (2023). Micronutrient Mineral and Nutrient Content of Volcanic Soils and

Creeks from the Montserrat Soufriere Hills Volcano. Nature’s Fertilizer: Mineral Nutrient Content of Volcanic Soils. European Journal of Applied

Sciences, Vol - 11(2). 143-156.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.112.14253

Volcanic eruptions also result in the release of numerous potentially hazardous gasses into the

atmosphere, including water, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide,

carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride.

4 The sulfur and halogen gases and associated metals

are removed from the atmosphere by processes of chemical reactions, including dry and wet

deposition on convenient surfaces and materials, and by adsorption onto the surface of the

volcanic ash and granular particles. The crystalline-solid structures of the salts that may be

formed from these chemical reactions may act more as an insulator than a conductor when in

contact with electronic surfaces, including computers and other electronic instrumentation

devices in contrast to the liquid forms which may act as corrosive ionic conductors. In addition,

the released gasses and particulates of the plume cloud block the sun’s rays, temporarily

disrupting ultraviolet radiation, impart a transient environmental cooling effect, and impact

factors of bird feeding and nesting activities in addition to migration patterns. 7.8

Characteristics of Volcanic Eruptions

During an active eruption, the volcanic materials are forced into the atmosphere by the rapidly

expanding magma under great pressure and may form a tephra plume several miles high and

which may be carried by prevailing air currents many miles from their origin.6 The force of the

eruption is such that large boulders 1-2 meters or more in diameter may be forced upwards

and out of the volcano, and are then carried by the resulting ash flow and hurlting down and

away from the volcano.7-9 The volcanic particles of the tephra typically consist of jagged pieces

of rock, minerals, and silicates, sometimes referred to as volcanic glass.4 The ash particles often

have a highly abrasive nature and may cause topical skin irritation to exposed skin surfaces

upon direct physical contact. If the volcanic dusts are inhaled the fine lightweight particles,

some of which are only the size and diameter of cigarette smoke, can become impacted deep

within the alveoli of the lungs and cause severe and sometimes chronic breathing problems.8,

11-

13 If left untreated the damage to the lungs may lead to chronic respiratory illness or even more

dire, acute exposures may result in suffocation, the most common primary cause of early and

often immediate death following volcanic eruptions.8 Thus, the need for individual preventive

measures including masking and covering of exposed all skin surfaces in addition to relocation

to a safe area is imperative. The types of minerals usually present in volcanic ash are dependent

on the chemistry of the magma from which it erupted. Considering that the most abundant

elements typically found in the silicate-rich magma of volcanos like the one in Montserrat are

silicone and oxygen, the various types of magma (and therefore ash) produced during volcanic

eruptions are often commonly explained in terms of their silica content, which can range from

approximately 45 to 70 percent by weight in any given volcano.4,5

History of the Volcano

The Montserrat Soufriere Hills volcano once believed virtually extinct roared back to life with

severe explosive eruptions on an unprecedented magnitude after a long dormancy beginning

in July 1995 and continuing to late 1997, and began a long series of violent eruptions which

persisted for well over a decade.9 The volcanic eruptions resulted in virtually total destruction

of much of the Southern half of the lush island Nation including the capital city of Plymouth and

numerous surrounding towns and villages which became covered with hundreds of tons of

volcanic ash, sand, and volcanic boulders which often reached depths of several meters or more

in areas in closest proximity to the volcano. Prior to the reactivation of the volcano, the vast

majority of the island population resided in towns and villages located on the Southern half of