Iceland Eruptions- AC Case Study Flashcards
(36 cards)
What was the population of Heimaey during the eruption?
4000 people.
How did many people escape during the Heimaey eruption?
Many people escaped by boat and evacuated to the mainland.
What were the hazards from the Heimaey eruption?
Hazards from the eruption were very localized.
What social impact did the Heimaey eruption have on houses?
Houses were buried by several meters of ash.
What was the economic significance of the harbour in Heimaey?
It was one of the most profitable harbours for fishing, and locals felt they had to save it.
What is the current status of the harbour in Heimaey?
Today the harbour is still used thanks to the diversion of the lava flow.
What environmental impact did the Heimaey eruption have on coastal waters?
Warming of coastal waters due to contact with lava.
What temperature did the lava reach during the Heimaey eruption?
1000 degrees C.
What was proposed to mitigate the lava flow during the Heimaey eruption?
It was proposed to throw sea water onto the lava to divert it away from the harbour.
What was the outcome of the lava diversion attempt in Heimaey?
A barrier of solidified lava stopped the lava flow from damaging the entrance to the harbour.
What was done to mitigate against loss of life during the Heimaey eruption?
Evacuation by fishing boats to the mainland.
What was the impact of ash during the Heimaey eruption?
Efforts to mitigate against ash included clearing roofs, but ash continued to fall and houses became buried.
What is the current status of Eyjafjallajökull?
The volcano is still active and could erupt.
How often does intense volcanic activity occur in Iceland?
Every 140 years.
What year do scientists believe the next eruption could occur?
2030.
What is Katla and why is it a concern?
Katla is Iceland’s biggest volcano, due for an eruption, and poses a risk of mass devastation from flooding.
How frequently does Katla erupt?
Once or twice every century.
How do Icelanders view living in a volcanic area?
Icelanders accept that they live in a volcanic area and respect the volcanoes as part of their culture and heritage.
What geological feature is Iceland situated on?
Iceland sits astride the Mid Atlantic Ridge.
Iceland is thought to be located on a hotspot in the upper mantle so there is more magma production and volcanic activity.
What is the impact of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption on Europe?
Europe lost $2.6 billion of GDP and suffered an 11.7% drop in air passenger numbers.
What was the impact of the ash cloud on farmers during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption?
Many farmers were evacuated and faced respiratory threats due to the ash.
What was the economic impact on the airline industry due to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption?
Tephra- disruptive to the atmosphere- constitutes 95% of icelands eruptive material. The airline industry lost $1.7 billion due to the eruption.
What was the environmental impact of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in terms of ash?
1/4 billion m³ of ash was emitted during the eruption.
- Steam explosions from the reaction between lava and meltwater creates ash- explosive.
- Fine grained ash- emitted to the atmosphere and blown over to Europe.
- Rising magma melted the overlying ice cap and water flowed into the creater- added to explosivity.
- The polar jet stream was blowing NW to SE driving the ash over europe.
- Produced numerous Jokulhlaups (a glacier dammed lake flood outburst) located on the north and south side of the volcano. The largest flowed from the north side and damaged a main ring road.
What was the visibility issue caused by the ash from Eyjafjallajökull?
Thick ash reduced visibility to 5cm.
