1.7 - Heimaey

Question 1

Where is Heimaey?

Answer 1

Off the South coast of Iceland

Question 2

What is the name of the volcano there?

Answer 2

Eldfell volcano

Question 3

When did it last erupt?

Answer 3

1973

Question 4

EQ tremors were detected ____ days before the volcano erupted.

Answer 4

2

Question 5

What damage was done?

Answer 5

Volcanic ash destroyed 400 homes and lava flow threatened harbour

Question 6

What are micro responses to hazards?

Answer 6

Working with INDIVIDUAL buildings

Question 7

What are macro responses to hazards?

Answer 7

Thinking about the whole place / community (buildings and society)

Question 8

How can we modify earthquakes?

Answer 8

• can’t predict the time/place it happens if they’re very powerful
• monitor how fast straight accumulates; measure the accumulation of strain along a fault segment each year, the time that has passed since the last earthquakes along the segment and how much strain was released in the last earthquakes
• measure electrical charges with satellites; as pressure builds before an earthquake, the O2 molecules inside the rocks undergo chemical reactions, creating a positive electronic charge that radiates towards the Earth’s surface
• micro-approaches to ensure public buildings and facilities stay open
• macro-approaches that include planning frameworks that insist on individual buildings being demolished and rebuilt, or retrofitted

Question 9

How can we modify volcanoes?

Answer 9

• lava diversion barriers (e.g Etna, Italy) - spray seawater to cool and solidify a lava flow (e.g Iceland 1993), or drain the crater lakes to stop lahars happening

Question 10

How can we modify tsunamis?

Answer 10

• change the offshore coastal environment - e.g barriers, stronger sea walls, plant mangrove forests
• mangroves dissipate the energy from waves whipped up by the wind

Question 11

Players involved

Answer 11

• Engineers and scientists to make good use of technology to predict and monitor volcanoes and tsunami
• use LIDAR and SAR to create 3D datasets of the Earth’s surface to understand the impact of earthquakes

Question 12

Problem: Lava flows

Answer 12

Solution: spray sea water

Question 13

Problem: demolish or retrofit buildings

Answer 13

Solution: keeping public buildings and facilities open

Question 14

Problem: Tsunami energy

Answer 14

Solution: Plant mangrove forests

Question 15

Problem: Earthquake strain accumulates over time

Answer 15

Solution: measure falt strenth

Question 16

Problem: Tsunami waves

Answer 16

Solution: Build taller, stronger walls

Question 17

Earthquake pressure causes chemical reaction inside rocks

Answer 17

Measure electrical charges with satellites