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Case Study – The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjnallajokull

Cambridge iGCSE Geography > The Natural Environment > Earthquakes and Volcanoes > Case Study – The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjnallajokull

Case Study – The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

Background information.

Location: Eyjafjallajökull is located in southern Iceland.

Level of Development in Iceland: Iceland is a developed country with a strong economy. It has advanced infrastructure, healthcare, education, and a high standard of living.

Volcano Details: Eyjafjallajökull is a composite (stratovolcano) covered by an ice cap.  The name describes the volcano , with Eyja meaning island, fjalla meaning mountain, and jokull meaning glacier. You can find out how to pronounce Eyjafjallajokull on the BBC website .

Its eruption can cause significant ash plumes and glacial meltwater floods known as “jökulhlaups.”

What caused the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

Iceland is situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a constructive plate boundary that divides the North American Plate from the Eurasian Plate. These two tectonic plates gradually drift apart because of the ridge push exerted along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. As they move away from each other, magma from beneath the Earth’s crust fills the magma chambers located below Eyjafjallajökull. The interconnection of several of these chambers has created a substantial reservoir of magma beneath the volcano. Eyjafjallajökull is positioned underneath a glacier, adding to its complex structure.

What were the primary effects of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

• Ash Cloud: The eruption created a massive ash cloud that turned day to night. The ash drifted over Europe.
• Air Travel Disruption: Over 100,000 flights were cancelled, affecting around 10 million travellers.
• Local Flooding: Melting glaciers caused flooding in the nearby areas.
• Damage to Agriculture : Ash fall led to the loss of grazing areas and contaminated water supplies.
• Property and roads: Homes and roads were damaged.

What were the secondary effects of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

• Economic Impact : The airline industry alone lost £130 million a day due to airspace closure, totalling an estimated $1.7 billion. The price of shares in major airlines dropped between 2.5-3.3% during the eruption. Other sectors, such as tourism and farming, were also significantly affected.
• Environmental Impact : Long-term effects on soil and water quality were observed. Local water supplies were contaminated with fluoride.
• Health Concerns: Respiratory issues were reported due to fine ash particles in the air.
• Impacts on Kenya: The impact was felt as far afield as Kenya, where farmers laid off 5000 workers after flowers and vegetables rotted at airports. Kenya’s flower council says the country lost $1.3m daily in lost shipments to Europe.

What were the immediate responses to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

• Evacuation : Around 800 people were evacuated from the immediate vicinity.
• Airspace Closure: European airspace was closed for several days.
• Emergency Services: Immediate response from local authorities, firefighters, and rescue teams.

What were the long-term responses to the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull?

• Monitoring and Research: Improved monitoring systems and research into ash cloud movement.
• Economic Support: Financial assistance for affected farmers and businesses.
• Regulations: Improved regulations for air travel during volcanic ash events.
• Airspace: The European Union developed an integrated structure for air traffic management. As a result, nine Functional Airspace Blocks (FABs) will replace the existing 27 areas. This means following a volcanic eruption in the future, areas of air space may be closed, reducing the risk of closing all European air space.

What opportunities did the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull bring?

Despite the challenges brought about by the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, several benefits emerged from the event. One of the positive impacts was the environmental saving; the grounding of European flights during the eruption prevented the release of approximately 2.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, as the Environmental Transport Association noted.

Additionally, the disruption in air travel led to a boon for other modes of transportation. Eurostar, for instance, experienced a significant increase in passenger numbers. The company recorded nearly a third rise in travel, accommodating 50,000 extra passengers on trains during this period.

Furthermore, the volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajökull deposited dissolved iron into the North Atlantic Ocean. This led to a plankton bloom, enhancing biological productivity in the region.

In response to the eruption’s negative publicity, the Icelandic government initiated a campaign to bolster tourism. The “Inspired by Iceland” initiative was launched with the specific goal of showcasing the nation’s scenic beauty, the warmth of its people, and the reassurance that Iceland was ready to welcome visitors. Consequently, the campaign had a positive effect, as evidenced by a substantial increase in tourist numbers, as depicted in the graph below.

Foreign visitor arrivals to Iceland

How does Iceland prepare for volcanic eruptions, and what was its impact?

Iceland has an effective monitoring system for its active volcanoes, with seismic stations and other instruments. There is close cooperation between meteorological, geological, and civil protection authorities. Public education and emergency planning are also vital to Iceland’s preparation strategy.

Iceland’s preparedness and rapid response, such as evacuating the area close to the volcano, mitigated the local impact of the eruption. However, the unprecedented disruption to air travel highlighted the need for better international coordination and understanding of volcanic ash’s effects on aviation.

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 is a crucial example of how a volcanic event can have local and global impacts. The incident underscored the importance of preparedness, monitoring, and international cooperation in minimizing the effects of such natural disasters. It also highlighted the interconnectedness of our modern world and how a geological event in one country can have far-reaching consequences.

Location and Eruption Details

Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010 in southern Iceland; it’s a stratovolcano covered by an ice cap. The eruption was caused by the North American Plate drifting from the Eurasian Plate along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, creating a magma reservoir beneath the volcano.

Primary Effects

The eruption led to a massive ash cloud, air travel disruption with over 100,000 flights cancelled, local flooding from melting glaciers, and damage to agriculture , homes, and roads.

Secondary Effects

Economic loss reached an estimated $1.7 billion in the airline industry, long-term environmental impacts, health concerns from ash particles, and far-reaching effects on other countries like Kenya.

Immediate Responses

Approximately 800 people were evacuated; European airspace was closed for several days; emergency services responded quickly.

Long-Term Responses and Opportunities

Improved monitoring, regulations, and economic support were implemented; benefits included reduced CO2 emissions, increased passenger numbers in trains like Eurostar, enhanced biological productivity in the North Atlantic, and a successful Icelandic tourism campaign.

Preparedness and Impact

Iceland’s effective monitoring, public education, and emergency planning mitigated the local impact but emphasized the need for international coordination and understanding of volcanic ash’s effects on aviation. The eruption illustrated the interconnectedness of modern society and the far-reaching consequences of geological events.

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Course links: GCSE • IGCSE • A-level • IA-level • IB Geography

This award-winning geography case study video resource reflects on the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 and looks ahead to potential volcanic eruptions in Iceland.

In this video, we cover:

- The causes and impacts of the eruption, with visits to some of the localities directly affected - Volcano monitoring and preparedness - The impacts associated with the future eruption of Katla - Positive impacts of the volcanic eruption on tourism in Iceland

This teaching resource uses narrative, incisive interviews of local people, stunning archive footage of the eruption itself and supportive maps and diagrams to show that, through detailed scientific knowledge and monitoring, the people in Iceland not only understand the threats posed by volcanic eruptions but also see the rich benefits of living in the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’.

Visit Discover the World Education to download the free teaching resources, which accompany this video: http://bit.ly/2xzJ8r5

Resources you can trust

Eyjafjallajokull: A geography case study

A free 15-minute video from Discover the World Education on the causes and impacts of the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland, in 2010. The video also considers volcano monitoring and preparedness, and the potential impacts of the future eruption of nearby Katla.

It is suitable for key stages 3–5 and serves as excellent support for the study of tectonic hazards and their associated risks.

The video is available here:

Eyjafjallajokull Case Study from DiscovertheWorldEducation on Vimeo .

Accompanying worksheets, with answers, can be downloaded in the zipped folder.  

The video covers:

• the causes and impacts of the eruption, with visits to some of the localities directly affected by the disaster
• volcano monitoring and preparedness
• the impacts associated with the future eruption of Katla
• the positive impacts of the volcanic eruption on tourism in Iceland.

It shows how detailed scientific knowledge and monitoring allow people in Iceland not only to understand the threats posed by volcanic eruptions but also to see the benefits of living in the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’.

This short film combines narrative with:

• interviews with local experts (including geology writer and broadcaster Ari Trausti)
• footage of the 2010 eruption
• supporting maps and diagrams.

Eyjafjallajokull: A geography case study received the Highly Commended Award at the Scottish Association of Geography Teachers Conference and the Silver Award at the Geographical Association Awards.

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Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Eruption Case Study A-Level GCSE

Subject: Geography

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

13 May 2024

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17 slide PowerPoint Presentation to act as a case study for the Icelandic Eyjafjallajökull Volcanic Eruption.

Suitable for AS, A-Level and high achieving GCSE students.

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Geographical

Official magazine of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Volcanic eruptions on Iceland might last decades

4 July 2024 3 minutes

A new study reveals that volcanic eruptions in Iceland might become more frequent, and the instability could last decades

By Stuart Butler

With over 11 per cent of the island covered in glaciers and around 130 volcanoes (32 of them active) dotting the landscape, Iceland well deserves its reputation as the island of fire and ice. Both glaciers and volcanoes can be extremely destructive. Glaciers crush the ground under them and, over time, reshape the landscape. Volcanoes play a similar role but often in a much shorter time. In recent years, the most infamous Icelandic volcanic eruption was when Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010 and sent a volcanic dust cloud into the atmosphere, shutting down air space across most of Europe for several days. Fortunately, most of the time, volcanoes are inactive, and in Iceland, a volcano erupts on average once every five years.

But imagine the impact it could have on day-to-day life if the incidence of volcanic eruptions were to significantly increase. Well, people on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, which is home to 70 per cent of the island’s population as well as the biggest city (the capital, Reykjavik, is situated just at the northeastern edge of this peninsula), as well as the international airport, might have to get used to living in an area of heightened volcanic activity. The volcanoes on the peninsula have been dormant for around 800 years, but since 2021, there have been eight separate eruptions. The latest of which took place in May and June of this year.  These eruptions have already brought great disruption and structural damage and led to the government declaring a state of emergency. Urban centres have been evacuated, and buildings and roads have been destroyed.

A new report says this might be just the start of an extended period of heightened volcanic activity that will see recurring eruptions lasting ‘years to decades and possibly centuries’. By analysing seismic tomography imaging and the composition of lava samples, an international team of scientists has worked out the geological processes behind the new volcanic era. 

‘Almost all of Iceland’s island is built from lava’, said Ilya Bindeman, a volcanologist and earth sciences professor at the University of Oregon , and one of the report authors. ‘The country sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , the tectonic plate boundary that causes North America and Eurasia to push further apart. The drifting of these plates can spark volcanic eruptions when a hot rock from the earth’s mantle — the middle and largest layer of the planet — melts and rises to the surface.’

Although scientists know the origin of Reykjanes Peninsula’s current eruptions is plate movement, the kind of magma storage and plumbing systems that feed them remain unidentified. ‘The peninsula consists of eight volcanically active sites, so understanding whether there is one shared magma source or multiple independent ones and their depth can help predict the duration and impact of these eruptions,’ said Bindeman.

By using geochemical and seismic data to examine samples of lava rock from two different volcanoes in the peninsula, the team involved in the study concluded that the volcanoes had similar ‘fingerprints’, which would indicate a shared magma storage zone below the peninsula. Imaging of the earth’s interior based on local earthquakes also suggested the existence of a lava reservoir about 8.8km to 12 km (5.5 to 7.5 miles) below the earth’s surface.

The report concludes that this marks the beginning of potentially persistent volcanic episodes in Iceland. Of course, such news immediately raises the question of how long this volcanic episode might last and how violent it might turn out to be. Unfortunately for the residents of the Reykjanes Peninsula, the researchers can’t precisely predict yet how long the episodes and the gaps between each will last.

‘Nature is never regular,’ Bindeman said. ‘We don’t know how long and how frequently it will continue for the next ten or even hundred years. A pattern will emerge, but nature always has exceptions and irregularities.’

Related articles:

• Volcanic eruption in Iceland near capital city
• How to photograph Iceland, land of fire and ice
• Iceland’s new ‘baby volcano’ spews out tornado
• World’s largest volcanic eruption took place 7,300 years ago
• Are we prepared for a major volcanic eruption?

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A Level Geography Eyjafjallajökull Case Study

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