TECTONIC CASE STUDY - EYJAFJALLAJOKULL VOLCANIC ERUPTION, ICELAND (DEVELOPED COUNTRY)

Question 1

WHEN ??

Answer 1

SEISMIC ACTIVITY BEGAN IN 2009 SLOWLY INCREASING IN INTENSITY UNTIL -

20 / 3 / 2010
(ERUPTIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 190 YEARS)
(SMALL ERUPTION, A 1 ON THE VOLCANIC EXPLOSIVITY INDEX) AND

14 / 4 / 2010
THEN MORE VIOLENT ERUPTIONS BEGAN ON THE

Question 2

WHERE ??

Answer 2

UNDER THE EYJAFJALLAJOKULL ICE CAPS OF SOUTH ICELAND

Question 3

WHAT HAPPENED ??

Answer 3

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN ICELAND

MASSIVE ASH CLOUD
DISRUPTED MOST OF EUROPE - LARGEST AIR TRAVEL DISRUPTION IN EUROPE SINCE WORLD WAR 2 AND GLOBALLY SINCE THE 911 TERRORIST ATTACTS
FIRST PHASE OF ERUPTION = NE SIDE OF VOLCANO (1660 METRES HIGH)

SUBSEQUENT ERUPTIONS = CAUSED MELTING OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF ICE = FLOODING IN SOUTHERN ICELAND = 800 PEOPLE EVACUATED
1 CUBED KM IN SUMMIT CRATER AND 25% OF THIS MELTED IN FIRST 2 DAYS.

18/4/ = VOLCANIC ASH AND GAS WERE RELEASED INTO ATMOSPHERE ACROSS FAROE ISLANDS, NORWAY AND NORTHERN SCOTLAND

AIRCRAFT DISRUPTED FOR OVER A MONTH AS ASH PLUME LARGE AMOUNTS OF MICROSCOPIC PARTICLES OF VOLCANIC ROCK WHICH CAN CLOG UP AND JAM AIRCRAFT ENGINES .

CAUSED FLIGHT DELAYS ALL OVER THE WORLD

Question 4

HOW ??

Answer 4

ICELAND ON 2 TECTONIC PLATES

EURASIAN TECTONIC PLATE AND THE NORTH AMERICAN TECTONIC PLAT

MOST VOLCANOES IN ICELAND ARE CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTIVE PLATE MARGINS.

MAGMA IS STORED IN THE MAGMA CHAMBER UNTIL PRESSURE IS HIGH ENOUGH TO PUSH THROUGH THE CONDUIT AND OUT THE VENT DOWN THE VOLCANO

DISRUPTIVE PLUM OF VOLCANIC ASH = GAS CAUSED BY MIXING OF MAGMA AND WATER

PYROCLASTIC FLOWS (is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic matter)

CAUSED MASS DESTRUCTION

Question 5

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Answer 5

AIR TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT POSTPONED DUE TO ASH CLOUD.

ESTIMATED = £130 MILLION / DAY COST TO AIRLINE INDUSTRY
TOTAL LOSS = £1.1 BILLION

OVER 95,000 FLIGHTS CANCELLED

OVER 10 MILLION PASSENGERS DISRUPTED

BUSINESSES RELYING ON AIR TRANSPORT WERE UNABLE TO FUNCTION AND TRADE AS THEIR GOODS DID NOT ARRIVE
eg NISSAN, DECLARED A SUSPENSION IN THE PROCUTION OF 3 MODELS IN JAPAN : SUPPLY OF PARTS WERE DISRUPTED = STOP PRODUCTION OF 2000 VEHICLES = PROFITS AND WAGES OF THEIR EMPLOYEES

Question 6

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Answer 6

ERUPTIONS RELEASED = 1.5 X 10.8 KG (???) OF CARBON DIOXIDE EACH DAY

REDUCTION OF AIR TRAVEL EACH DAY STOPPED AN ESTIMATED 1.7 MILLION TONS OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE

Question 7

SOCIAL IMPACTS

Answer 7

BLISS = AS DESCRIBED BY RESIDENTS OF WEST LONDON = DUE TO HALT IN FLIGHTS

EVACUATION = RESIDENTS IN SOUTHERN ICELAND WERE EVACUATED DUE TO FLOODING CAUSED BY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS MELTING LARGE AMOUNTS OF ICE

Question 8

RESPONSES

Answer 8

MAINLY = CLOSURE OF LOCAL AIRPORT

EVACUATION OF LOCAL RESIDENTS AND WORKERS

AID GIVEN TO ANYBODY PHYSICALLY AFFECTED BY THE ERUPTION