Hazards: Volcanic hazards, Case study - HIC Eyjafjallajokull Flashcards
Describe the spatial and temporal setting of the event.
April-May 2010 in Southern Iceland on the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
Explain the location of Eyjafjallajokull
Constructive plate boundary (Eurasian and North American plates move apart).Over a hot spot (hot magma plume from the asthenosphere)
Outline the magnitude of the event:
VEI: 4
Areal distribution: Europe; Russia; Canada and Kazakhstan had ash in their airspace
Why was the eruption more explosive than expected?
Rising magma melted the overlying Eyjafjallajokull glacier and water flowed into the erupting crater cooling the lava (increasing viscosity) and adding gas content forming a glassy ash high in silica - explosions of gas in the main vent instantly pulverised this into fine fragments.
Why did the eruption have such widespread impacts?
Iceland is beneath the polar jet stream, the VEI 4 eruption meant that the eruption column reached this height.The jet stream was in a holding pattern blowing NW to SE over Europe.Emitted ash was very fine and therefore transmitted long distances.
Impacts on a local scale
80% of tephra fell on Iceland; livestock taken inside to escape ash (high fluoride content a health risk); evacuation of local population (health risk of ash/flooding); local flooding as glacial melted (local roads washed away); TOURISM: attracted further tourists to the region.
Perception on the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull
low perception of risk - well prepared - IMO constant monitoring; preparedness; frequency of eruptions embankments directed floods.
Impacts on a european scale
all flights cancelled from some airports due to ash risks > cost airlines £130 million per day/cost UK travel companies £6 million per day > many fail. Channel tunnel and cross channel ferries and tourist destinations of stranded Europeans (400 000) did more business than usual.Europe loses $2.6 billion in GDP (workers stranded as end of summer hol; travel etc.); 11.7% drop in pair passenger numbers; slowed trade as parts could not be delivered to factories particularly just-in-time producti
Impacts on a global scale
7 million passengers stranded worldwide; any products distributed for EU markets rotted if short-lived e.g. hot house flowers with approx £1.3 million in Kenya; 2.8 million tonnes less CO2 emitted; global travel slowed.
Outline local responses to eruption
warnings given and evacuation of local population; livestock kept inside; roads breached to allow movement of flood water and protect more expensive bridges; increased monitoring of nearby volcanoes.
Outline international response to eruption
closure of most European airspace due to concerns that fine glass tephra would abrade plane windshields and be sucked into airplane engines endangering their operation.
What is globalisation?
Increasing interconnectedness between countries. Widening, deepening and speeding up of global interconnectedness.
Why did globalisation worsen the impacts of the eruption?
Increased global travel > more of an economic impact due to disruption of trade and stranded passengers.
