E15 - Iceland Flashcards
How far is the volcano from Reykjavik
100 km south east
What plate margins
North American and Eurasian plates meet at a divergent plate margin
When was the eruption
19th April 2010
How tall was the ash plume
11,000 metres
What were the social impacts of the eruption
Major disruptions to air travel
17k flights cancelled
Political events effected
What were the economic impacts of the eruption
2 billion in damages
London lost 100 million in tourist revenues
20 farms destroyed
What were the environmental impacts of the eruption
Snowmelt caused flooding
Landslides destroyed roads
Volcanic ash caused a 1 degree drop in global temp
Released millions of tones of carbon into the atmosphere
How did Iceland manage the eruption
Evacuated some areas
Built dirt barriers in high risk areas -> lava broke through in some
How did Iceland adapt to the eruption
Having low density populations
Building homes away from flood plains
How did Iceland mitigate the eruption
Well prepared beforehand, smaller eruption beforehand allowed them to know a bigger one was coming
Why were iceland resilient to the eruption
Quick response
Well organised government
Financial support given
Relatively resilient population as few people were affected
