Eyjafjallajokull iceland case study

Question 1

when and where did the eruption occur?

Answer 1

in Southern Iceland in 2010

Question 2

how developed is Iceland?

Answer 2

very, it is an HIC with high standards of living

Question 3

what plate boundary does Iceland sit on?

Answer 3

Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a constructive plate boundary between the North American and Eurasian plates.

Question 4

what caused the eruption?

Answer 4

ridge push allowed magma to rise up the magma chambers

Question 5

give 4 primary effects

Answer 5

1. 100,000 flights were cancelled, affecting around 10 million travellers
2. an ash cloud turned day into nightmelting 3. glaciers flooded the local area
3. ash contaminated water and led to the loss of grazing areas

Question 6

give 3 secondary effects

Answer 6

1. the airline industry lost £130 million a day, totalling £1.7 billion
2. respiratory issues occured due to airborne ash
3. tourism and farming was significantly impacted

Question 7

give 3 immediate responses

Answer 7

1. around 800 were evacuated from the vicinity
2. european airspace was closed for a couple days as ash would damage engines
3. local authorities responded to the scene

Question 8

give 3 long term responses

Answer 8

1. monitoring systems were improved including research into ash cloud movement
2. financial support was given to affected farmers and businesses
3. The EU developed an integrated structure for air traffic management so airspace doesnt need to fully close in the future

Question 9

give 2 opportunities from the eruption

Answer 9

1. the grounding of flights prevented the release of 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere
2. Other modes of transport saw an increase in demand, e.g eurostar gained an extra 50,000 passengers