E15

• E15 is located in Southern Iceland
• E15 is a stratovolcano - 1660m high and a 3-4km wide crater
• the glacier above E15 melted to cause mudflow and lahars
• E15 erupted multiple times during march-may but the april eruption was 10-20 times stronger
• E15 erupted in 2010
• E15 explosion was 3-4 on the VEI
• VEI - volcanic explosivity index
• iceland is on the mid-atlantic ridge and a hotspot
• mid-atlantic ridge is pulled apart due to ridge push
• the volcano had a strombolian-style chamber
• strombolian chamber - multiple chambers combining into one
• 230 million cubic metres of ash were emitted during the explosion of E15
• E15 had flank eruptions
• local perception of E15 was concern for crop harvests
• ash fall was stopped by long grass and caused fertile, warm soils for good harvest
• some farms lost initial harvest due to deep covers of ash
• katla volcano could be a potential issue in iceland as it is 'overdue' an eruption
• E15 increased iceland tourism - 1.7million tourists in 2016
• LAVA Centre created in iceland for tourists
• air traffic across europe was disturbed after the eruption due to ash
• £130 million loss per day closed for airlines
• ash blocked out the sun and caused respiratory issues in people
• homes, roads, services, and public transport was disrupted and crops were destroyed
• imports of water and supplies were contaminated with fluoride
• floods from melted glaciers covered towns
• kenya was heavily impacted by E15

  5000 workers were laid off from flower and vegetable production

  flower companies lost $1.3 million per day

  kenya usually exports 500 tonnes per day 97% going to europe
• locals had planned ahead and built stronger houses to withstand ash fall
• 700 people evacuated from southern costal towns
• rescuers sent by the government to areas where people couldnt evacuate - helicopters were used due to roads being blocked
• deliberately breached sections of the road were replaced to relieve flooding
• EU funded futureVolc which improved sensors - gas detection, geological strain metres, GPS heat sensors and seismometres