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Unlock This CourseEarthquakes and volcanic eruptions are deadly, so you might expect people to stay well away. They do not. Cities, farms and villages are packed along plate boundaries all over the world. The reason is simple. Most days these places are safe, and they offer real benefits. The danger is rare, but the benefits are there every day.
The reasons fall into three groups: natural benefits, jobs and wealth, and people who stay because they have no real choice or do not see the risk.
Key terms:
Tectonic activity is dangerous, but it also creates useful things. Each of these is an opportunity that attracts people.
Ash and lava slowly break down into soil full of minerals that plants need. Farmers can grow good crops year after year. On the island of Java in Indonesia, volcanic soils help farmers grow rice and other crops, so many people live on the slopes. Farmland around Mount Vesuvius in Italy is also rich and busy.
Where magma is near the surface, water underground is heated for free. In Iceland, many homes are heated with geothermal water and geothermal power stations make electricity. Italy and Japan also use geothermal power. It is a cheap, reliable energy supply that does not run out.
Volcanic and tectonic areas can hold valuable minerals and metals, because hot fluids deposit them in rock. At Ijen volcano in Indonesia, workers collect sulphur from the crater. Mining brings jobs and income, so people settle nearby.
Volcanoes, geysers and hot springs attract visitors. In Japan, people visit hot spring baths and climb Mount Fuji. In Iceland, tourists come to see geysers, lava fields and geothermal pools. Tourists spend money in hotels, shops and restaurants, which creates jobs for local people.
Not everyone lives there because of the volcano or the fault line. Sometimes a city simply grew up in a place that happens to be in an earthquake zone. Cities grew for other reasons, such as a good harbour or flat land, and they then became large centres for jobs.
When a city is a centre of jobs and wealth, people will move there even though earthquakes are a known risk. For many, a good job today matters more than a rare earthquake.
Families have often lived in the same place for generations. Homes, friends, farms and local traditions are there. Some communities see a volcano as a sacred place, so leaving would mean leaving their culture behind.
Moving needs money for transport, a new home and a new job. Many people cannot afford to sell up and start again, especially if their land is their only asset.
The poorest people often have nowhere else to go. In LICs, cheap land near a volcano may be the only place a farmer can afford. They accept the risk because the alternative is no land at all.
People who live near a hazard often think the risk is low. There are several reasons:
Perception can be wrong. A quiet volcano is not a safe volcano, and earthquakes are much harder to predict than eruptions.
| Place | Main reasons people live there |
|---|---|
| Iceland | Geothermal energy for heat and electricity; tourism |
| Italy | Fertile volcanic soils; geothermal power |
| Japan | Jobs in cities such as Tokyo; tourism; confidence in building design |
| Indonesia | Fertile soils on Java; mining |
| California | Jobs in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles |
Notice that most places have several reasons at once. In an exam answer, link reasons together. For example, a poor farmer may stay because the soil is fertile and because they cannot afford to move.
Saying people live there because they are stupid or do not know the danger. Many people know the risk and weigh it up. Another mistake is giving only one reason. Good answers explain why a benefit matters, for example: fertile soil means better harvests, which gives farmers a food supply and income.
Fig. 1.1 shows made-up information about Town A, which lies at the foot of a volcano.
| Feature of Town A | Information |
|---|---|
| Main jobs | Farming, tourism, geothermal power station |
| Soil | Rich volcanic soil, three harvests a year |
| Last eruption | Over 150 years ago |
| Average income | Low |
(a) Identify one economic benefit of living in Town A. [1 mark]
(b) State one reason why people in Town A may feel safe from the volcano. [1 mark]
(c) Explain why poverty may stop people from leaving Town A. [3 marks]
(d) Assess why people continue to live in areas at risk from volcanic eruptions. [6 marks]
(a) Any one: farming income from fertile soil; tourism jobs; jobs at the geothermal power station. (1)
(b) The last eruption was a long time ago, so people think another one is unlikely. (1)
(c) Moving costs money for transport and a new home (1). People on low incomes cannot afford this (1), and they may not have savings or anywhere else cheap to live, so they have little choice but to stay (1).
(d) Top level answer (5 to 6 marks): People live near volcanoes because of natural benefits. Fertile volcanic soil allows farmers to grow several crops a year, giving food and income, as in Java in Indonesia. Geothermal energy gives cheap heating and electricity, as in Iceland, and volcanoes attract tourists who create jobs. The benefits are available every day, but eruptions are rare. Other people stay because they have little choice. Poor families cannot afford the cost of moving and may have no other land, and family and cultural ties keep others in place. Perception of risk also matters. If a volcano has been quiet for a long time, or people trust scientists to give a warning, they think the risk is low. Overall, the most important reason is probably the daily benefit of jobs and food, because it affects everyone, while poverty explains why the poorest cannot leave. (A clear judgement, with developed reasons and examples.)
In an assess question, give at least three different types of reason, support them with a named place, and finish with a judgement about which is most important.