Iceland 2010 - Volcanic Eruption

Question 1

What is the volcano called?
What you of volcano is it?
Where is it located?

Answer 1

The volcano is called Eyjafjallajökull and it is a shield volcano. The volcano is located on the island of Iceland at two constructive plate boundaries which are the North American and Eurasian plates.

Question 2

How did the volcano start to show signs of an eruption?

Answer 2

Started to show signs of a volcanic eruption when magma poured from underneath the crust into the magma chamber of the volcano which created much seismic activity including almost 3,000 small earthquakes between 3-5 March 2010

Question 3

What caused the main eruption?

Answer 3

On the 20th March 2010, the eruption was caused by the meeting of one body of magma with another type of magma within the volcano

Question 4

What were the environmental impacts of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 4

• Oceans had a limited capacity for carbon uptake as so much volcanic ash had been deposited into them
  Which ocean?
• Climatologists could rest easy in the knowledge that the gassed and ash expelled from the volcano during the eruption would not last long in the atmosphere
• The belching volcano didn’t have a sizeable impact on the global climate

Question 5

What were the economic impacts of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 5

• Airlines lost on average £130 million per day due to being grounded because of the massive ash cloud from the eruption
• Europe’s biggest tourism companies were losing between £5-6 million per day
• People has to look for alternative ways to travel so coach, train and ferry companies benefited massively during this time frame

Question 6

What were the social impacts of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 6

— 800 people had to be evacuated

• People living in close proximity to the volcano had to wear masks and Google’s as the ash was so thick
• Ash caused health problems especially for people who had asthma
• Many roads closed down around volcano which left people stranded and unable to get to places that they needed to get to or had to take the long way around
• Ash contaminated water supplies and farmers warned of the deadly effect this would have on the cattle

Question 7

What were the political impacts of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 7

• Due to flight cancellations, lots of political events had to be delayed or postponed for many months

Question 8

What were the short term responses of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 8

• Around 800 people in the nearby area were evacuated after the eruption
• The flood caused by the eruption threatened a highway, so a construction team dig holes in highway to change the direction of the water to reduce flooding
• Roads were cut off to save bridges

Question 9

What were the long term responses of this volcanic eruption?

Answer 9

• More high-tech equipment is being used to monitor volcanoes so Iceland can predict and fully prepare for future eruptions
• Warning system put in place to text people living nearby to a volcano of a possible eruption
• Rivers were made deeper so they’re less likely to flood during future eruptions as well as water defences being improved