E15 14th April 2010

The type of eruption was... Phreatomagmatic Fissure Magmatic Strombolian Magmatic and Fissure E15 is entirely covered by an ice cap (Subglacial) - The ice cap covers... 200 square kilometers 100 square Kilometers 300 square kilometers E15 is located on the Eastern volcanic zone Western volcanic zone in southern Iceland Eastern volcanic zone in southern Iceland E15 is a stratovolcano and is... 1,500 meters in height 1,900 meters in height 1,200 meters in height The type of lava which flows from E15 is... Basaltic with high silica content (high viscosity Basaltic with low silica content (low viscosity) Phreatomagmatic (magma and water) eruptions lead to a plume of very fine volcanic ash and gas which reached to a height of 33,000 feet 23,000 feet 100,000 feet The E15 eruption reached ... on the VEI Index. 5 4 3 Categorise E15's impacts into social, economic, environmental and political. Some impacts are negative and some are positive. Social Impacts (7) The eruption on 14 April set off a major flood in Iceland, when erupted lava partly melted a glacier prompting authorities to order 700 people to evacuate. The people living in the rural areas 'downwind' of the volcano had to wear goggles and face masks as the ash was so thick. 500 local cattle farmers and their families had to be evacuated from the area around the volcano. Many of the roads surrounding the volcano were closed. The ash contaminated local water supplies. Farmers near the volcano were worried that their livestock could drink from contaminated streams and water sources, as high concentrations of fluoride from the ash mixed with river water can have deadly effects, particularly in sheep. No fatalities were recorded. Some reports of respiratory issues among residents most impacted by the eruption plume. Economic Impacts (10) Airlines lost a combined £130 million per day in lost revenues, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Europe's biggest tourism businesses lost between £5 million and £6 million per day. As passengers looked for other ways to travel than flying, many different transport companies were able to benefit. Exporters of perishable goods from the Caribbean and Africa were badly affected. Kenyan farmers reportedly resorted to dumping stocks of fresh food and flowers, which would otherwise have been sold to Europe. Kenya's economy lost £2.8 billion because of flights to Europe being cancelled. Japanese car manufacturer Nissan halted production of several models for one day because it was not able to import parts from Ireland. As a result of staff being stranded abroad, meetings being cancelled and delays to air mail, many businesses worldwide lost money. European air space was closed for 7 days 1.7m tourists visited in 2016! New attractions have been established, such as the Eyjafjallajökull Visitor Centre and the new LAVA Centre (2017).) The thick layer of ash that had fallen on some Icelandic pastures and farms had become wet and compact, making it very difficult to continue farming, harvesting, or grazing livestock leading to a loss of income and investment. Flights were grounded to and from Reykjavik disrupting the import of supplies as well as flows of tourists. Environmental Impacts (5) Ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano deposited dissolved iron into the North Atlantic, triggering a plankton bloom The mass-grounding of European flights prevented the emission of some 2.8m tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (according to the Environmental Transport Association) Ash covers pasture and impacts on biodiversity. The additional ash particles in the atmosphere increase temporarily levels of albedo.(reflecting the sun's heat back into space) Flash flood event and rapid heating of river water (+6° in 2 hrs.) caused by rapidly melting ice sheet. This water raced downstream causing widespread damage to the river channel and banks eroding away at agricultural land. Political Impacts (3) A very high proportion of flights within, to, and from Europe were cancelled, creating the highest level of air travel disruption which lead to stress and pressure on the EU and Icelandic governments to prepare effective solutions. The Civil Protection Department was deployed in Iceland in order to control access to and from vulnerable communities and to keep people away from the flood plains that could be inundated with meltwater. Volcanologists and seismologists in Iceland had been monitoring E15 and noticed that seismic activity was increasing during march 2010 and informed the Icelandic government who then warned the Icelandic inhabitants of a possible eruption and to evacuate and keep cattle and sheep in indoor shed areas.