Location: E15, a glacier-covered volcano in southern Iceland.
Date: Eruption began on 20th March 2010, with a larger explosive phase on 14th April 2010.
Type: Phreatomagmatic (interaction of magma and ice), producing a massive ash cloud.
Local Impacts:
Flooding: Melting glacier ice caused floods, leading to evacuations.
Ashfall: Covered farmlands, damaging crops and affecting livestock.
Disruptions: Roads closed, homes and infrastructure damaged.
Global Impacts:
Air travel disruptions: The ash cloud spread over Europe, causing 100,000+ flight cancellations over a week. 10 million passengers stranded, major economic losses (~$1.7 billion).
Economic impact: Airlines, businesses, and tourism suffered losses. Some industries (e.g. Kenya's flower exports) were badly hit due to flight cancellatations.
Environmental impact: The ash cloud dispersed quickly, but emitted CO2 into the atmosphere.
Management and Response:
Evacuations and monitoring: Iceland's authorities responded quickly to protect locals.
Airspace closures: European aviation authorities grounded flights to ensure safety.
Research and future planning: Led to improved volcanic ash forecasting to prevent similar disruptions.
The E15eruption highlighted the vulnerability of global transport systems to natural disasters, leading to better volcanic monitoring and aviation response strategies.