It’s one of several volcanoes that stretch along the fault lines of the tectonic plates. The health affects can be shown to not be just contained within the Iceland. There is evidence for similar behaviour in the two other known eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Historic time, those of 1612 and 920. Eyjafjallajökull Icelandic Eruption 2010; Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Video Case Study; Comparing earthquakes; Weathering and Erosion; Rivers. No plagiarism, guaranteed! It’s where the North American and Eurasian plates meet, and runs for 10,000 km (16,000 miles) along the ocean floor. But further forecasting of the potential paths of ash clouds and the secondary impacts they can cause. 2:33. Of course, divergent plate boundaries also exist on land. Convection currents are driving apart the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. The volcanic edifice is an elongated, flat cone of about 1650 m height. As the plates move apart magma fills the magma chamber below Eyjafjallajokull. The eastern rift of Eyjafjallajökull extends into the western flank of Katla and the distance between the two volcanic centers is only 25 km. Then again in 1612 when a possible summit eruption arose (Jónsson, 1774; Larsen et al., 1999), and then in again 1821 when the volcano last erupted before 2010 eruption (Thoroddsen, 1925). (British Geological Survey (BGS) | A world-leading geoscience centre, 2018). The volcano went through a small subglacial stage when the eruption melted through the glacier of 200m of ice which took 3 to 4 hours (Gudmundsson et al., 2012) and this created large amounts of meltwater that caused flooding nearby . Iceland rests along the Mid Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system is one of over 30 presently active volcanic systems in Iceland (Figure 1). As these two plates move apart, magma continually wells up along the ridge, creating new sea floor. The Eyjafjallajökull Volcano is an ice-covered stratovolcano located in Iceland, which last erupted in 2010. These eruptions were preceded by significant rifting and cracking on the ground surface, which are also emblematic of diverging plate movement. 16th Dec 2019 (or is it just me...), Smithsonian Privacy However, the Eyjafjallajökull eruption highlighted problems in this system and the need for it to be globally implemented across the globe. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this dissertation and no longer wish to have your work published on the UKDiss.com website then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! The rather mild activity of Eyjafjallajökull (3 eruptions in 1100 years) stands in strong contrast to that of the neighbouring volcano Katla, which is one of Iceland‘s most active volcanoes. As well a contraction from 2000 to 2009 was recorded at the southern flank at a volume of 0.0015 ± 0.0003 km3/year at 5.5 ± 2.0 km in depth(Hjaltadóttir et al., 2015). Lava effused out in a 3km long lava flow which made its way northwards out of the caldera down the Gı´gjo¨kull glacier (Gudmundsson et al., 2012). The behaviour of the volcanic cloud was observed using a C-band weather radar located at the Keflavik international airport that is situated 150km west of the volcano (Icelandic Met Office, 2018). Eyjafjallajökull products have an alkaline composition, similar to other off-rift volcanoes in Iceland. This volcano (pronounced as ay-yah-fyah-lah-yoh-kuul ) is located on a spreading ridge in Iceland. The plates are moving apart at a rate of 1-5cm a year. 1994; Sella et al. There were however explosions on the 4th to the 8th of June but these explosions had a small amount of magma that was admitted and caused dispersion of Tephra that was limited as it was kept within 1km of the vents. Use, Smithsonian As the ash can cause high damage to airframes, avionics and engines of civil jet aircraft. The magma production from the volcano changed from relatively low output to high discharge at times, with around 8 million tonnes of fine volcanic particles being ejected into the air (Carlsen et al., 2012). As small as a 2gm-3 of ash ingested in the engine can cause loss of power and near crashes (Sammonds, P., McGuire, B., Edwards, 2011). These all partly contributed to the changes of the accumulated volume being estimated wrong, as well due to solidification and magma cooling (Hjaltadóttir et al., 2015). Explosivity increased from the Phreatomagmatic Eruption from a mixing of water and lava, Intense earthquake swarm that lasted three hours, First explosive phrase of magma discharge. Case study - eruption in a developed country: Eyjafjallajökull Iceland has several volcanoes and is situated on two tectonic plates – the North American plate and Eurasian plate. The collision of tectonic plates can result in earthquakes, volcanoes, the formation of mountains, and other geological events. In this way, as the plates move further apart new ocean lithosphere is formed at the ridge and the ocean basin gets wider. These occurred in the 10th century when a flank eruption occurred (Óskarsson, 2009). Sill intrusion beneath Eyjafjallajökull in 1999 was followed by a magmatic event at Katla, most likely a small subglacial eruption and a period of slow inflation 1999-2004. With the large number of signs showing an eruption was near, the volcano was heavily monitored in the lead up to the eruption. Located on the Island of Iceland In the Atlantic Ocean Remember these headings in the News? Dissertation It is a relatively small volcano, and is located W of Katla volcano. Health effects of the local communities can also be reduced by well-developed houses as houses within Iceland generally have windows and doors that are insulated well so shut tightly and therefore can provide protection from health effects caused by ash (Carlsen et al., 2012). It erupted three times in 2010—on 20 March, April–May, and June. The volcano however had a steam plume that occurred for months after the eruption had stopped located at the crater on summit (Gudmundsson et al., 2012). Eruption is looming with increased volcanic activity, or eruption taking place with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere. Notice, Smithsonian Terms of 2012). But lies within a series of high rising volcanoes that’s influenced by a secondary rift zone (REF). A 100-200 m thick glacier covers the upper part of the volcano and its elliptical 2.5-km-wide summit crater or caldera. A convergent plate boundary is a location where two tectonic plates are moving toward each other, often causing one plate to slide below the other (in a process known as subduction). These includes flooding, health effects and disruption to air traffic. These wrong estimates could highlight why the volcano impacts was underestimated and why it caused so much disruption from the amount of ash produced. Iceland lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, a constructive plate margin seperating the North American plate and the Eurasian plate. However this may or may not be directly be related to the region being by an Ash Cloud (Carlsen et al., 2012). The summit explosion of trachyandesite caused an exceptional disruption to air traffic across Europe with much of the airspace being closed for several days (Sigmundsson et al., 2010). 0 0 Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. However, it can be challenging whether a volcano is emitting ash particularly if the volcano is remote (Webley & Mastin, 2009). *You can also browse our support articles here >, Deformation was rapid with reduction of 0.5mm per day after 4, Intense Activity was recorded and uplift of volcano, Second eruption at the summit. But lies within a series of high rising volcanoes that’s influenced by a secondary rift zone (REF). 'glacier of the mountains of the islands') is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. This phrase of the eruption being very violent for the size of the volcano was a result of the volcano being a Phreatomagmatic Eruption. The divergent plate boundary between North America and Eurasia has a relative motion of approximately 18–20 mm yr −1 in a direction of 102–104° E of N (DeMets et al. Along with seismic activity in the upper and intermediate crust. This was an outcome of the eruption arising within an ice capped caldera. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! (convergent or divergent?) •Lies on the Mid Atlantic Ridge (highly volatile boundary between Eurasion and North American tectonic plates). The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of 1,651 metres (5,417 ft). It’s where the North American and Eurasian plates meet, and runs for 10,000 km (16,000 miles) along the ocean floor. The volcano in Iceland makes up a series of many active volcanoes in the country. The strong influence of the topography suggests, however, that this intraplate stress field is weak. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKDiss.com purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on Reviews.io. How far did the volcanic ash cloud from the eruption travel? The data shows a pipe like structure northeast of the summit crater, this shows the path of the magma from the base of the crust to the upper crust and into an intrusion (Hjaltadóttir et al., 2015). The explosive action was relatively week but produced 2 to 4km high plumes. This produces basaltic volcanoes when an eruption occurs above the surface (Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland) and characteristic basalt “pillow lava” in underwater eruptions. Flooding caused disruption to the local communities that are near to the volcano. Yet trauma response teams from the Red Cross were at evacuations and in community centres at the time of the eruption (Carlsen et al., 2012). Eyjafjallajökull Volcano !! The eruption in Iceland caused many effects that affected people nationally and internationally from primary and secondary hazards. The second eruption occurred on the summit of the volcano and started at 3.30pm on 14th April 2010. Between 1994 and 1999 it contracted in volume of around 0.0010 km3 at a fixed depth of 5km. This story map was created with the Story Map Journal application in ArcGIS Online. Their magmatic sources, however, appear to be chemically separated in spite of apparent sympathetic behaviour of the two volcanoes. However, the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano is situated just beyond the propagating rift of plate spreading in Iceland. Is eyjafjallajokull a hot spot volcano? The E-W orientation of the rift zone suggests a tectonic control of a regional stress field with the least compressive stress oriented N-S. It is an elongated, broad cone of about 1650 m height. Iceland is on a type of tectonic plate boundary called a divergent boundary. The immediate build up to the eruption started in January with an increased activity of phrases of seismic Earthquakes as well as volcano uplifting suggesting magma movement towards the surface (Hjaltadóttir et al., 2015). Dikes in the older parts of the volcano strike north-easterly and indicate a change in the stress orientation during the last 0.78 My. Increased unrest and more risk of eruption, or eruption is occurring, but violent explosive activity has no slowed or stopped. The diverging Eurasian and North American plates caused the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull (in 2010) and Bardarbunga (in 2014). First, the island is located directly over the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, or the boundary between the North American tectonic plate to the west and the Eurasian tectonic plate to the east. Iceland has a high concentration of active volcanoes due to its location on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary, and also due to its location over a hot spot. This give a certain level of warning to aviation companies and allow them to take an action needed (Gardner, 2006). These effects were unprecedented from the modest size of the volcano as such damage was not predicted. This change may be related to a southward propagation of the Eastern Rift Zone of Iceland and the transfer of spreading from the Western Rift Zone. The summit of Eyjafjallajökull reaches an elevation of 1,666 metres (5,466 ft) and the ice cap itself covers an area of about 100 square kilometres. BGS scientists respond to volcanic eruptions and contribute to the Scientific Advisory Group in Emergencies (SAGE). (c) NASA Earth Observatory. The sudden melting of ice and snow however threatened the communities at distance to the site to the eruption (Kuenzler et al. Company Registration No: 4964706. This eruption was immediately followed by an intense earthquake swarm that lasted three hours (Gudmundsson et al., 2012). Interactions of tectonic plates are believed to be the main reason of most earthquakes and volcanic activity on the Earth. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKDiss.com. The plate boundaries have a direct impact on Iceland’s geology. Examples of these are Eyjafjallajökull Plate Tectonics explains what happens as the North American and Eurasian Plates pull away from each other; new crust is formed from erupted magma along either side of the ridge. the volcanic systems are located at the plate boundary and their activity is heavily influenced by the tectonic movements. Iceland is located on the North American plate (Moving West) and the Eurasian plate (Moving East), creating a divergent plate boundary which move apart at 1-5cm every year.•. On the 18th April a change occurred that was a lower discharge phrase this lasted to the 4th May, the melt composition was less silicic than before as it reduced from around 60% to 58% and the magma discharge also dropped (Ref). Eyjafjallajökull is a small volcano (about 40km2) within the chain of volcanoes in the SE Rift Zone. The area including Eyjafjallajökull and Katla is outlined with a box. Reference this. The eruption caused major disruption in the country as well as across the world. Eyjafjallajokull is located below a glacier. This is not an example of the work produced by our Dissertation Writing Service. Here, convection currents are driving apart the North American plate (moving West) and the Eurasian Plate (moving East) along a constructive plate boundary. From the 5th to 17th May the volcano became even more explosive, with the melt composition from Benmoreite to Trachyte. The volcanoes of Iceland include a high concentration of active ones due to Iceland's location on the mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary, and its location over a hot spot.The island has 30 active volcanic systems, of which 13 have erupted since the settlement of Iceland in AD 874.. Of these 30 active volcanic systems, the most active/volatile is Grímsvötn. The plate boundary is a Divergent boundary where the North American and Eurasian plates that move away from each other. The Icelandic Met Office were responsible for monitoring the volcano using many geophysical sensors including seismic, strain and GPS. It is the most southerly volcano on mainland Iceland before Surtsey in the sea to the south west. (convergent or divergent?) The office also monitored the river runoff from the meltwater off the glacier. Das Foto zeigt die beiden Ausbruchstellen, Eyjafjallajökull die am 14 April 2010 ausbrachen und Fimmvörðuháls vom 20 März bis 12 April 2010. This caused a mix of magma and ice which causes the explosivity of a volcano to increase in intensity (Sammonds, P., McGuire, B., Edwards, 2011). Iceland Greenland Eyjafjallajokull volcano ASH CLOUD! Eyjafjallajokull is a volcano that is entirely covered by an ice cap. Pressure perturbation in the mantle may also affect the magma sources of both volcanoes. Plans to mitigate the effects of eruptions on air traffic have been attempted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that use advice from the World Meteorological Organisation to keep Aircraft away from ash clouds by advising international airlines of ash clouds (Sammonds, P., McGuire, B., Edwards, 2011). This caused short term problems being reported such as causing Asthma Attacks, increase irritation to respirate and skin and eye irritation (Carlsen et al., 2012). These monitoring operations assigns different warning levels to the aircraft industry when a volcano has been detected ejecting ash. 2002). 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