Case study: Eyjafjallajökull 2010

1.2.3 Hot springs and geysers

1.2.5 Supervolcanoes

Case study: Eyjafjallajökull 2010

  1. Overview

    1. Eyjafjallajökull is an ice cap located in the far south of Iceland that covers the caldera of a volcano on the Mid-Atlantic ridge and has erupted frequently since the last ice age
    2. It erupted from March to October 2010, causing significant disruptions to air travel in Europe from April to May
    3. By June, the intensity of seismic activity had diminished significantly but it was only in October that the eruption was declared officially over

  2. Impacts

    1. Primary

      1. Volcanic ash was a major hazard to aircraft since it could reduce visibility, sandblast windscreens or melt in the heat of turbine engines and damage them
      2. Unavailability of transport
      3. The volcano released about 0.15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per day, but the reduction in air travel saved between 1.3 to 2.8 million tonnes being released into the atmosphere during this time
      4. The ash contaminated local water supplies, which the farmers are warned not to feed to livestock
      5. Many people were left stranded in foreign countries

    2. Secondary

      1. Flights were cancelled worldwide from April 14-20th, incurring an estimated loss of over £1 billion
      2. Products were unable to be exported & imported into European countries, such as flowers from Kenya to the UK, incurring losses in both countries: £2.4 million in Kenya
      3. A thin layer of ash settled on the ground and became wet & compact, smothering crops & pasture
      4. Many important people’s trips in Europe had to be arranged or even cancelled
      5. Many social events, like sport and music, had to be cancelled or delayed

  3. Responses

    1. Short-term

      1. State aid was given to airlines & airports that were badly affected by the disruptions though full compensation was not available
      2. Assistance & compensation were available for any losses, such as those to farmers

    2. Long-term

      1. The FutureVolc project, funded by the EU, monitors volcanoes in order to better predict imminent eruptions
      2. Easyjet & Airbus are testing systems that will allow planes to detect and circumnavigate ash clouds, and to see how far they can fly in an ash cloud

  4. Monitoring, prediction and preparation

    1. The FutureVolc project will be able to give the researchers more warning for an imminent eruption in order to react and prepare
    2. The Icelandic people understands the hazards and are trained how to react quickly, especially the Civil Protection Department, which works with geological experts, the emergency services, the highway authorities and the general populace