Atmospheric Hazard Map Set: Volcanic Eruptions

Frequency of volcanic eruptions in Vatnajkull, Iceland Local Scale

Iceland is couched directly in the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a 40,000 kilometer
split in the ocean floor formed by the separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic
plates. The tectonic activity in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge has formed Iceland into a landmass that
has cultivated consistently throughout the last 20-25 million years, as well as made it into an
active volcanic site. At the borders of the Nordurland Eystra, or the Northeastern Region of
Iceland, and Austurland, the Eastern Region of Iceland, lies Vatnajkull, Europes largest ice
cap. Vatnajkull is also referred to as the Vatna Glacier, and it contains several volcanos.
Grmsvtn, a subglacial volcano in the western region of the Vatnajkull glacier, has had
extremely recent activity in June 2016. There have been indicators of a glacial outburst flood
that could potentially pollute the water that flows out of the glacier with hydrogen sulfide. The
second most recent event occurred on May 21, 2011, where Grmsvtn erupted and produced
ash plumes that began to drift towards parts of northern Europe and disrupted flight patterns
of aircrafts.

Frequency of volcanic eruptions in Iceland Regional Scale

The frequency of eruptions and the harshness of the natural conditions in Vatnajkull
has made the area inhabitable, and most residents of Iceland are concentrated around the
western and eastern coast of the country. The western region of Iceland sits on the North
American plate, and the eastern region on the Eurasian plate thus, when the plates meet,
they either collide, rub against one another, or push the other underneath it. Mount Hekla is
located south of the center of Vatnajkull and is one of the most famous and active volcanos in
Iceland. Since 1104, mount Hekla has erupted over 18 times, with the most recent eruption
occurring in 2000. The eruptions have covered much of Iceland with tephra, a fragmental
material that aids in dating the eruptions of surrounding volcanos in Iceland. Volcanic eruptions
are a severely detrimental natural atmospheric occurrence that easily destroys areas of
civilization. The unstable nature of volcanic activity makes it extremely difficult to prepare areas
for disaster, but the use of barriers and water to cool lava flowing down from volcanoes can
form natural havens around cities.

Frequency of volcanic eruptions in Iceland Global Scale

Volcanic activity centers in the southeastern region of Iceland, known as Vatnajkull,

where the most frequent volcanic eruptions occur in Iceland. Parts of Iceland are also highly
susceptible to earthquakes due to volcanic activity, and some of the most damaging
earthquakes devastated southern Iceland in 1784 and 1896. According to an estimate, Iceland
experiences a major volcanic eruption every five years, but this does not include submarine
eruptions, which occur more often than eruptions on land. A volcano off the southern coast of
the country, in a town called Heimaey in the Vestmannaeyjar Islands, erupted in 1973 after
being dormant for about 5,000 years. The eruption lasted for five months and forced most
inhabitants of Heimaey out of the town as it destroyed the village with fire, lava, and ash. The
conditions induced by volcanic eruption make living conditions in certain populated areas
inhabitable. However, to combat lava from destroying any more of the town, physical barriers
and jets of water were used to cool the lava and form a dam against incoming lava. This
solution ended up preserving two-thirds of Heimaey. This barrier now provides greater
protection from wind and water in the community, and is an effective method to protecting
cities from destruction in the case of another eruption. Other land masses that lie on the MidAtlantic Ridge, such as Azores and the Canary Islands, experience the dangerous repercussions
of volcanic activity.

Works Cited
"Global Volcanism Program | Grimsvotn." Global Volcanism Program | Grimsvotn. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 July 2016.
"Vatnajkull and the Volcanoes under the Glacier in Iceland." Big Think. N.p., 19 Jan. 2011.
Web. 10 July 2016.
Volcanoes." Volcanoes. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2016.