Eyjafjallajokull Volcanic eruption 2010 Flashcards
What plate boundary is Iceland located on?
Mid atlantic ridge
What type of plate boundary is Iceland located on?
Constructive
What plates is Iceland on?
North American and Eurasian
What is beneath Iceland?
Mantle plume transferring heat upward and keeping iceland above sea level and making Magma much hotter
How many farmers and their families were evacuated?
500
How many in total were evacuated?
700
How many flights were cancelled?
100,000
What was created to prevent harm to people in the area?
Exclusion zone
What date did the volcano erupt?
14th April 2010
What was the VEI?
3-4
What type of volcano is it?
Ice covered stratovolcano
What’s the eruptive history?
From march to may of 2010. Past eruptions were 920, 1612, and from 1821-1823
How many active volcano systems are there in Iceland?
33
What type
of volcano was it?
Stratovolcano- Sub glacial
What do sub glacial eruptions cause?
Very explosive eruptions as ice fragments become airborne and ice melts to steam incredibly quickly
Was there an ash cloud?
There was a 5-10km high eruption plume
How much CO2 erupted into the atmosphere
30,000 tonnes
How many fatalities were there?
0
What was caused by the melting of the Glacier?
Flooding of the Jokulnaup river
What was the magma/ lava like in the eruption?
1300°C, low viscosity, low sillica count, fast flowing lava
What areas of airspace were closed and how long for?
European air space closed for 6 days
What happened to the harvest that year?
Good harvest due to ash debris warming up the land
How much of Kenya’s eco mono y was based off of green veg and flower distribution?
20%
How many Kenyan farmers were temporarily unemployed?
50,000 due to not being able to trade across airspace with veg and flowers
How much money did airlines and associated businesses lose per day?
approximately £1.3 million
How many passengers lost their flights?
10 million
What business benefitted?
Travel businesses such as Boats benefitted as people found alternative travel
What did the ash contaminate?
Drinking water supplies
How much money did Europe lose from the disaster?
$2.6 billion
What health condition was common after the event?
Respiratory issues for locals
How much did Horticulture loose daily?
£3 million
What happened to the visibility after the eruption?
Day turned to night as the ash cloud covered the sun
How many eruptions occur on the Vei scale 4 each year in iceland?
15
What is Eyjafjallajokull?
An Island mountain glacier
What is the frequency of volcanos in Iceland?
Volcanos erupt roughly every 5 years so preparation is very good
What department focuses on the management of volcanic hazards in iceland?
The civil protection department of the icelandic police commissioner
What warnings do Iceland send out to locals
Public warnings on impending natural hazards in the form of texts
What fields do Iceland conduct research in?
Meteorology, hydrology, glaciology, climatology, seismology, and volcanology
