VOLCANO : Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland Flashcards
1
Q
When it erupted?
A
April 2010
2
Q
Plate boundary?
A
Constructive/ Hot spot
3
Q
Type of volcano/eruption?
A
- stratovolcano
- basaltic and andesitic lava
4
Q
Eruption frequency?
A
- 35 in Iceland
- infrequent
5
Q
Eruption magnitude?
A
VEI 4
6
Q
Primary hazards?
A
- tephra
- magma combined with the ice cap to form glass-like shards and ash
- 1/4 million cubic metres of ash
- lava flows
7
Q
Secondary hazards?
A
- lahars
- flooding (ice caps melted)
- contaminated water
- ash entered jet stream
8
Q
Primary impacts?
A
- ash disrupted animal farms and people
- ash fell on land
- Keflavik airport closed
9
Q
Secondary impacts?
A
- acid rain
- contaminated water risk to livestock
- many European airports closed
10
Q
Economic impacts?
A
- £130 million lost each day by airlines
- received 1000 tourists by March
- flight ban meant:
– air freight losses
– tourism losses
– travel agents lost out
– fixtures cancelled - ash in lamb lungs
11
Q
Social impacts?
A
- 7 million stranded
- 1000 people evacuated
- ill health
12
Q
Environmental impacts?
A
- less air and noise pollution
- CO2 release
- fertilised land
- water contamination
13
Q
Political impacts?
A
- many politicians couldn’t travel to the state funeral of the Polish PM and his wife
14
Q
Risk?
A
- volcanoes aren’t that dangerous; ice cap caused most problems
- lots of magma was left over from last eruption
15
Q
Vulnerability?
A
- good hazard perception in Iceland
- high HDI
- small, wealthy country
- sparsely populated
