The volcano Eyjafjallajökull can be found on the south coast of Iceland and is covered by an ice cap. It is a stratovolcano which are usually known to have explosive Plinian style eruptions and are usually associated with pyroclastic flows. Moreover, Iceland is located on both a plate margin and hot spot.
Due to the volcanic activity on Iceland, there is careful monitoring done on the volcanoes on the island. These few measures include measuring ground deformation and studying recurrence intervals. There was increased seismic activity in 2009, telling us that there was more volcanic activity. In 2010, GPS (Global Positioning System) detected around 0.05 of magmatic intrusion growing, causing ground deformation. This was also supported by the fact that earthquake activity was increasing. Moreover, on 22nd March 2010, a sudden rise in both water level and temperature was recorded in the Krossa glacial river. In two hours, the water temperature rose 6º. Following these precursors, many families, farmers and students were evacuated overnight. Flights to and from Reykjavik and Keflavik International Airport were also temporarily postponed. The day before the main event, a surge in seismic activity was detected.
The main event occurred on 14th April and had more explosive power. This is because the heat melted ice which quickly vaporised. This combined with the fact that the ice quickly cooled the lava causing 8 km glass-rich ash plume to be injected directly into the jet steam, ensuring that the ash was carried into the frequently used airspace over parts of northern and central Europe. The eruption also triggered flooding to occur in the surrounding area.
Following the eruption, people were evacuated. Many of those evacuated were local farmers. A few were allowed to return to feed their livestock. However, most of the farming land had already been destroyed. Aid was offered by European Red Cross Societies to help those affected directly or indirectly. The Icelandic Red Cross provided food as well as counselling and support for those traumatised. Other European Red Cross Societies such as the Netherlands Red Cross and the Belgian Red cross offered help to those travellers affected by the eruption.
The eruption had economic consequences. The ash plume ejected into the atmosphere, aided by the upper air westerly winds and the polar jet stream, spread eastward towards Europe, leading to temporary closure of the European airspace. Due to the closure of the Reykjavik airport, passengers had to be transported by bus to the Akureyri airport which was on the north coast of the island. Airlines reported losses of $200 million per day. There were also losses in trade goods, particularly perishables, that were unable to reach their market.
Another major consequence is environmental in nature. One of them is flooding. Meltwater emerged as a glacial burst from the edge of ice caps as floodwater. The roads beside the Markarfljot river were washed away. People were also evacuated. Some embankments in Southern Iceland had to be breached to allow floodwaters to reach the sea, preventing the destruction of expensive bridges. The ash-fall negatively affected farmers who relied on livestock and pasture. However, in the long run, the ash will release nutrients into the soil that can improve soil-fertility. The air quality also declined. This led to a closure of schools and also to many people having minor health problems and respiratory problems. Lahars, which is ash mixed with meltwater, fell into the river channels, raising the flood risk and causing renewed concerns regarding flooding. Water quality was also affected due to fluoride contamination.
In the social aspect, the eruption affected those who were especially vulnerable to respiratory conditions. People had to be evacuated and homes and roads were damaged, disrupting both electricity and water. Moreover, due to the airspace closure, people and tourists were stranded. However, the eruption’s impact on tourism was mixed. In March, before the main event, tourism spiked so much that 10,000 people had visited Iceland by the end of March. After the 14th of April, tourist attractions as well as amenities near the site of the eruption was severely affected. However, day tours to view the eruption from a safe distance continued.
In conclusion, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull had very severe connotations. However, when compared to past Icelandic eruptions, the eruption was relatively small but since it took place in a time of growing air traffic, caused travel disruption. This case study is an appropriate example of how the global population is vulnerable to natural disasters, especially in our globalised world today.