Eyjafjallajokull Eruption, Iceland (2010)

Question 1

General facts

Answer 1

• developed country
• small population of 320,000
• MEGA-DISASTER

Question 2

What happened?

Answer 2

• Eyjafjallajokull erupted in March 2010 for the first time in 190 years
• ash plume generated affected much of Europe - over 20 countries
• no direct deaths

Question 3

Impacts

Answer 3

• massive impact on air travel; more than 100,000 flights were disrupted, leading to over £1 billion in losses
• imports and exports into Europe also affected (air freight accounts for 25% of UK’s trade by value)
• Japanese car production ceased because they ran out of a part (a critical sensor) that was made in Ireland
• African producers of perishable goods e.g. folowers, vegetables, fruit, had losses of US$65 million according to the World Bank because they couldn’t be exported