Iceland 2010

Question 1

why is Iceland hazardous?

Answer 1

there is a hotspot overlying a strong mantle plume and the
mid-Atlantic spreading ridge

Question 2

what is Iceland’s GDP per capita?

Answer 2

$73,000

Question 3

what kind of plate boundary is the volcano on?

Answer 3

divergent (constructive) plate boundary

Question 4

what percentage of Iceland is covered by glacier?

Answer 4

11%

Question 5

at what rate per year is the sea floor spreading?

Answer 5

2 cm a year

Question 6

what is the name of the volcano?

Answer 6

Eyjafjallajökull

Question 7

what type of volcano is Eyjafjallajökull

Answer 7

gently sloping strato volcano

Question 8

when was the first eruption and what preceded it?

Answer 8

first eruption was on 20th march 2010
there was recorded seismic activity from December 2009

Question 9

when was the second eruption and what made it more dangerous?

Answer 9

14th April 2010
it occurred under the glacier

Question 10

what happened when it erupted under the glacier?

Answer 10

the ice instantly vaporised and combined with the molten lava causing it to fragment into highly abrasive shards of ash which were carried up in the eruption plume

Question 11

how high did the ash cloud go?

Answer 11

9km into the atmosphere

Question 12

what was the VEI score?

Answer 12

4

Question 13

when was the eruption ended?

Answer 13

lava flow stopped on 21st of may, only steam released
officially declared finished 28th October 2010

Question 14

what are lahars?

Answer 14

volcanic mudflows with the consistency of wet concrete.

Question 15

what are jokulhlaups?

Answer 15

glacial outburst floods

Question 16

immediate effects of the eruption?

Answer 16

• heat melted ice, caused jokulhlaups washed away roads, 800 people evacuated
• roads leading to Vik were closed for several days, engineers opened gaps in road to protect bridges from collapsing
• livestock kept inside so wouldn’t eat grass/water poisoned by fluorine tainted ash. however, ash may improve soil fertility in future
• Keflavik airport shut
• decline in air quality, schools in southern Iceland close. people told to stay inside. minor health problems experienced such as eye irritations and sore throats. people with asthma told to be vigilant. (effects were short lived)
• lahars entered rivers and raised level of flood risk
• tourism, helicopter/bus tours of eruption. however road closures affected attractions such as waterfalls in Skogar and hotels in Vik

Question 17

longer term effects of the eruption?

Answer 17

• assessed lost to European air industry was $1.7 billion, sporting fixtures and concerts were cancelled, organs could not be transported for much needed surgeries. demand for jet oil fell to 2,000,000 barrels a day, and Kenya was said to be losing $2.4 million a day as its crops, fruits and flowers exports were left to rot.
• environmental impacts, not very serious, worried gasses such as sulphur dioxide might lead to acid rain and kill trees and vegetation
• positive: increased tourism

Question 18

how many people died in Iceland?

Answer 18

0

Question 19

short term responses?

Answer 19

• European commission permits state aid to those airlines and airports that were badly hit by shutdowns
• roads shut and some allowed to flood to protect bridges.
• river banks destroyed by excavators to increase carrying capacity
• 700 people evacuated
• warning put out, face masks distributed

Question 20

long term responses?

Answer 20

European Union became more aware of the wider impacts of potential ash cluds on European GDP.
funded FutureVolc , which will improve prediction of particularly dangerous ash clouds, will keep flight disruption to a minimum

Question 21

What is FutureVolc?

Answer 21

investment programme which will improve sensors and gas detection metres, as well as GPS heat sensors and seismometers.