Eyjafallajokul

• Eyjafallajokul - icelandic volanic eruption

  • located on the eurasion and north american margin
  • composite cone volcano
  • ash cloud reaching over 70km high
  • population of 3 people per km
  • index - 4 eruption
• environmental impacts

  • river temperature raised by 6degress in 2 hours
  • Jokulhaups - melting of ice due to magma and eruption
  • global warming, 3000 tonnes co2 released per day
  • decreased global warming, due to lack of airplanes
  • farming reduced, due to ash fall out destroying crops and livestock
• political impacts

  • airline disruptions caused UK flights to be cancelled = disrupting political campaigns in April
  • 18th April the Pakistan PM cancelled trip to France and Brussels due to cancellations of planes
  • funeral of Polish PM was not attended by many key people - i.e. Obama and other prime ministers
• primary social impacts

  • 500 farmers and their families were evacuated
  • no deaths or injury's
  • high levels of reparatory problem with lung irritations
  • farms and homes were destroyed by the flood water and ash fall out
• secondary primary impacts

  • 1 million people stranded
  • 2010 Japanese motorcycle grand prix was postpones
• economic impacts

  • 100,000 flights cancelled during 6 days travel ban
  • airline lost $1.7 trillion and airports £80 million
  • pride of shares in major airlines fell by 2.5/3.3%
  • 13 UK travel firms collapsed
  • Kenya had to destroy 4000 tonnes of flowers, losing them £2.4million per day and lead to 50,000 farmers becoming temporarily unemployed
  • Zambia vegetable industry lost £100,000 per day
  • medical drugs which were time sensitive cannot be moved by air and therefore could not treat patients
• immediate responses

  • evacuation - overnight evacuation of farmers and families = 800 people
  • rescue workers used face masks to prevent choking and help with reparatory problems
  • 24 hour help line was set up to allow people to get help
  • citizens were informed of the volcanic ash risks
  • international support was put in place / Amsterdam airport had 1500 beds for people who were stranded
  • France / operation centre to coordinate support and shelter for 400 people
• long term responses

  • research into ash affect on airlines
  • improved monitoring systems
  • road reconstructions
  • flood defences put in place
  • improved monitoring systems