Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland Flashcards
Where is it
On a constructive plate margin. The plates will pull apart. It will be a composite volcano
It is located in the south of Iceland. It is located on the mid Atlantic ridge. It is near the coast of Iceland. It is a part of a cluster of volcanoes. Iceland is on the Eurasian plate which is moving east and the North American plate which is moving west. Plates moving apart at a rate of 1cm to 5cm per year. Chain of volcanoes along the SE rift zone of Iceland which runs NE to SW.
Why did the volcano cause so much of an issue?
Problem with eyjafajallajökull was volcanic ash and the ash plume that was a result of the eruption. Ash plume reached 11,000m into the air (enough to reach the stratosphere and also be distributed by high velocity jet stream between troposphere and stratosphere)
How many planes through Heathrow a day
1 thousand
Forecasted extent of ash cloud
Mainly came to Western Europe
At first it went south east from Iceland and when it reaches Ireland it spreads out to North America and stretches across to a small part of Asia.
How long did the ash erupt for
1 month after eruption
Tonnes of it released
