eyjafjallajökull casestudy

• Volcano located on the Eastern Volcanic zone in southern Iceland
• Began erupting lava on 20 March 2010
• Second eruption occurred beneath the ice cap near the summit of the volcano on 14 April
• This eruption caused melting of large amounts of ice, leading to flooding in southern Iceland
• The eruption had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 4
• Interaction of magma and water created a plume of very fine volcanic ash and gas over 10 kilometers (33,000 feet) high
• The ash and gas spread out and was carried by winds south-eastwards towards the Faroe Islands, Norway, and northern Scotland
• 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. There was a huge increase in passenger numbers on Eurostar. It saw an increase of nearly a third, with 50,000 extra passengers travelling on their trains.
• Environmental impacts: Ash from the Eyjafallajökull 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) The eruption on 14 April set off a major flood in lceland, 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 facemasks as the ash was so thick