Hazards CS - Eyjafjallajokull

Question 1

When was the eyjafjallajokul eruption

Answer 1

20th march - 23 June 2010

Question 2

What is the background of the eyjafjallajokul eruption

Answer 2

-sits on the mid-Atlantic ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates move apart at a rate of 2.5 cm/year
-sub-glacial nature of volcano made eruption more violent than normal Icelandic volcano (VEI 4)

Question 3

What Is the cause of the eyjafjallajokul eruption

Answer 3

Constructive boundary led to magma rising to surface of eyjafjallajokul volcano leading to the eruption

Question 4

What were the primary effects of the eruption

Answer 4

-30,000 tonnes of C02 emitted per day
-230 million cubic metres of ash was emitted (some contaminating water supplies)
-no deaths

Question 5

What were the secondary effects of the eruption

Answer 5

-had to switch to bottled water
-stopped flights being able to take off (lost $2.2 billion)
-warmed the weather

Question 6

What were the short term responses of the eruption

Answer 6

-700 people evacuated in Iceland (500 were farmers) and were cared for by Dutch Red Cross
-Dutch Red Cross set up 1500 beds in a schnipol airport for trapped passengers
-roads/embankments reconstructed within weeks

Question 7

What were the long term responses of the eruption

Answer 7

-significant research was triggered into the impact of volcanic ash on aircraft, concluded that closure of airspace was unnecessary