case study - Eyjafjallajökull

Question 1

background information, Iceland

Answer 1

erupted in 2010
found on the mid Atlantic ridge
North American and eurasian plate boundary
constructive boundary

Question 2

primary impacts, Iceland

Answer 2

Social
- 20 farms destroyed by flooding or ash
- no deaths or injuries
- ash caused people to have to wear goggles and masks

Question 3

secondary impacts, Iceland

Answer 3

Social
- 150m thick ice cap melted, caused flooding and road damage
- 107,000 flights cancelled

Env
- ash contaminated local water supplies with fluoride, deadly to livestock

Economic
- cost airlines $200m
- London lost £102m in tourism, large scale impacts
- ash fell on farmland, impacting income

Question 4

primary responses, Iceland

Answer 4

• 800 locals evacuated
• livestock kept indoors
• roads closed due to floods
• Royal Navy collected stranded holiday makers
• people in areas of ash told to stay inside

Question 5

secondary responses, Iceland

Answer 5

• local flood defences and roads reconstructed
• monitoring of Katla, nearby volcano expected to erupt
• insurance companies renewed policies
• plane engines redesigned to cope with ash in future

Question 6

evaluation of Iceland

Answer 6

prediction allowed for 30 minute evacuation warning
deaths reduced by cancelling fights
Katla monitored
no deaths
but costly in tourism