Eyjafjallajokull eruption Case Study

Question 1

When and where did the Eyjafjallajokul eruption occur?

Answer 1

Eyjafjallajokull erupted between March to May 2010. In Iceland in North West Europe.

Question 2

What caused the Eyjafjallajokul eruption?

Answer 2

a constructive plate margin separating the North American Plate and the Eurasian plate. The two plates are moving apart due to ridge push along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. As the plates move apart, magma fills the magma chamber below Eyjafjallajokull. Several magma chambers combined to produce a significant volume of magma below the volcano.

Question 3

What were the impacts of the Eyjafjallajokul eruption?

Answer 3

The sun was blocked out as a result of the ash cloud.

Airlines lost roughly 130m$ a day

Airline shares dropped by 2.5-3%

Ash affected places as far as Kenya where 5000 workers had to be laid off due to the loss of 1.3 million worth of flowers every day.

Question 4

Why is the Eyjafjallajokul eruption of interest?

Answer 4

It shows how tectonic hazards can affect countries where the hazard didn’t occur.