Volcanic Eruptions And Activity 😊 Flashcards
Case study for a volcanic eruption and the year
Iceland (2010)
Negative effects of the eruption? X4
- flights in Europe were cancelled for a week due to an ash cloud
- 100,000 commercial flights were cancelled worldwide
- worldwide airlines lost US $1.7 billion in revenue
- European economy lost US $5 billion
Name 5 primary hazards
- lava flows
- pyroclastic flows
- tephra
- ash falls
- gas eruptions
What is a lava flow?
Streams of lava that erupt on to the surface high in temperature
They move slowly but destroy everything in their path
What is a pyroclastic flow?
Mixture of dense extremely hot material ejected from a volcano that move quickly and are far more dangerous
What is tephra?
Pieces of volcanic rock and ash that blast into the air during eruptions, can travel for thousands of miles and cause injuries
What are ash falls?
Cover everything causing poor visibility and slippery roads which can cause collapsing of roofs and the clogging of engines
What are gas eruptions?
Magma contains dissolved gases that can travel thousands of km and these gases can be poisonous
Name 2 secondary hazards
- Lahars
- Jokulhlaup
What are lahars?
Masses of rock, mud and water that travel quickly which vary in size and speed
What is Jokulhlaup?
Heat of a volcanic eruption that can melt the snow in a glacier causing heavy and sudden floods
How do you measure volcanic eruptions?
Using the volcanic explosivity index (VEI)
What does this index go from?
0 to 8
8 being extremely large
What factors does it include?
- how long the eruption lasts
- amount of material ejected and the height
- qualitative descriptive terms
How can scientists predict earthquakes?
What are the signs?
Monitor signs
- small tremors
- changes to the surface of the volcano
- changes to the tilt of the volcano
