Eyafjallajokull, Iceland, 2010
(ay·yuh·fyat·luh·yo·koo)
By Kudzai And Thomas
Eyafjallajokull, Iceland, 2010
(ay·yuh·fyat·luh·yo·koo)
By Kudzai And Thomas
Hazard Profile:
Located in Iceland
Type of volcano: Stratovolcano so therefore there will be explosive eruptions and ash clouds can form
Eruption occurred in 2010
Iceland is located on the Mid Atlantic ridge which is the boundary between the Eurasian and North American plate.
Iceland has an IMO which is an Icelandic Meteorological Office which monitors seismic activity and gives out early warnings.
Because of how active Iceland is there are evacuations plans in place for the local population in case of eruptions and earthquakes.
Although Iceland is very vulnerable to eruptions as it sits on a plate boundary. It is very well prepared for volcanic events and the usually wont cause too much disruptions or too many deaths.
The government has also made sure that the people are aware of the possible dangers. And, experience is another important factor as Iceland does have a lot of experience dealing with volcanoes as they usually occur every 5 years.
Causes
Impacts
Primary
A large 9km high ash cloud block the sun, victims were exposed to toxic gases
Homes, services and crops were destroyed by the ash
Secondary
Flooding was caused by the glaciers melting
Local water supplies were contaminated by fluoride
The price of shares in major airlines dropped between 2.5 and 3.3% due to the eruption
Responses
Many sporting events were cancelled or delayed such as Formula one due to the flight disruptions
The importing of fresh food had been stopped, which affected many businesses in the catering industry collecting their raw materials
700 people were evacuated
100,000 flights cancelled
The Icelandic government rebuilt riverbanks higher than before