2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull

Volcanic events in Iceland September 2024 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull File:Eyjafjallajokull-April-17.JPG Volcano plume on 17 April 2010 2010 03 20 yEyjafjallajökull 372020 Eruptions 14 May 2021 2010 06 23 y Eyjafjallajökull Hawaiian, Strombolian and Vulcanian eruption phases Southern Region, Iceland 63.6 -19.6 title,inline type:event_region:IS 4 File:Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash composite.png Composite map of the volcanic ash cloud spanning 14–25 April 2010 Large-scale disruption to air travel, smaller effects on farming in Iceland Between March and June 2010 a series of volcanic events at Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland caused enormous disruption to air travel across Western Europe. The disruptions started over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption continued into May 2010, and eruptive activity persisted until June 2010. The eruption was declared officially over in October 2010, after 3 months of inactivity, when snow on the glacier did not melt. From 14 to 20 April, ash from the volcanic eruption covered large areas of Northern Europe. About 20 countries closed their airspace to commercial jet traffic, affecting approximately 10 million travellers.Volcanic eruptions: Science and Risk Management 27 May 2011 Bente Lilja Bye Science 2.0 http://www.science20.com/planetbye/volcanic_eruptions_science_and_risk_management-79456 28 May 2011 Seismic activity started at the end of 2009 and gradually increased in intensity until on 20 March 2010, a small eruption began, rated as a 1 on the volcanic explosivity index.Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull University of Iceland Institute of Earth Sciences 17 April 2010 http://www.evropusamvinna.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100809185331/www.evropusamvinna.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption 9 August 2010 dead Beginning on 14 April 2010, the eruption entered a second phase and created an ash cloud that led to the closure of most of the European IFR airspace from 15 until 20 April 2010. Consequently, a very high proportion of flights within, to, and from Europe were cancelled, creating the highest level of air travel disruption since the Second World War. The second phase resulted in an estimated 250 e6m3 cuyd of ejected tephra and an ash plume that rose to a height of around 9 km ft 2 on, which rates the explosive power of the eruption as a 4 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.Erica R. Hendry "What We Know From the Icelandic Volcano https://web.archive.org/web/20100426112622/http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/91838474.html 26 April 2010 ," Smithsonian, 22 April 2010. Retrieved April 2010. By 21 May 2010, the second eruption phase had subsided to the point that no further lava or ash was being produced. By the evening of 6 June 2010, a small, new crater had opened up on the west side of the main crater. Explosive activity from this new crater was observed with emission of small quantities of ash.http://www2.hi.is/solofile/1016022 http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100814231509/http://www2.hi.is/solofile/1016022 dead 14 August 2010 Gunnar B. Guðmundsson Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull Status Report: 11:00 GMT, 7 June 2010 Icelandic Meteorological Office and Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland 7 June 2010 7 December 2012 etal Seismic data showed that the frequency and intensity of earth tremors still exceeded the levels observed before the eruption, therefore scientists at the Icelandic Meteorological Officeen.vedur.is http://en.vedur.is 10 September 2012 Icelandic Met Office en.vedur.is (IMO) and the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Icelandhttp://www.earthice.hi.is/ earthice.hi.is Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 117 B7 n/a 10.1029/2012JB009250 2012JGRB..117.7405M 2012 Magnússon E Gudmundsson M. T Roberts M. J Sigurðsson G Höskuldsson F Oddsson B 28 May 2017 15 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20170528105735/http://earthice.hi.is/ dead subscription (IES) continued to monitor the volcano. In October 2010, Ármann Höskuldsson, a scientist at the University of Iceland Institute of Earth Sciences, stated that the eruption was officially over, although the area was still geothermally active and might erupt again.http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=369471 Eruption in Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull Over Iceland Review Online 27 October 2010 2 November 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20101126024956/http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=369471 26 November 2010 live Background Iceland thumb|Dust particles that get suspended in the atmosphere scatter light from the setting sun, generating 'volcanic lavenders' like this one over the flight path of Leeds Bradford Airport in England during the aviation shutdown Eyjafjallajökull (is ˈeiːjaˌfjatlaˌjœːkʏtl̥ pron Is-Eyjafjallajökull.oga) is one of Iceland's smaller ice caps located in the far south of the island. Situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of the larger ice cap Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull covers the caldera of a volcano 1666 m ft on high, which has erupted relatively frequently since the last ice age. The most recent major eruptions occurred in 920, 1612, and from 1821 to 1823.http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1880 Eruption in Iceland – frequently asked questions En.vedur.is 21 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100420081159/http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1880 20 April 2010 live Previous eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull have been followed by eruptions at its larger neighbour, Katla.Boyes Roger 21 March 2010 Iceland prepares for second, more devastating volcanic eruption http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7070239.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20110629105520/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7070239.ece dead 29 June 2011 17 April 2010 The Times UK On 20 April 2010 Icelandic President Ólafur Grímsson said, "the time for Katla to erupt is coming close ... we [Iceland] have prepared ... it is high time for European governments and airline authorities all over the world to start planning for the eventual Katla eruption."http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8631343.stm BBC Newsnight interview with President Grímsson of Iceland, 20 April 2010 BBC News 20 April 2010 21 June 2010 The volcanic events starting in March 2010 were considered to be a single eruption divided into phases. The first eruption phase ejected olivine basaltic andesite lavaGossprungan um 1 km að lengd Morgunblaðið http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/21/gossprungan_um_1_km_ad_lengd/ 9 May 2011 several hundred metres into the air in what is known as an effusive eruption. Ash ejection from this phase of the eruption was small, rising to no more than 4 km ft on into the atmosphere. On 14 April 2010, however, the eruption entered an explosive phase and ejected fine glass-rich ash to over 8 km ft on into the atmosphere. The second phase was estimated to be a VEI 4 eruption, which was large, but not nearly the most powerful eruption possible by volcanic standards. By way of comparison, the Mount St. Helens eruption of 1980 was rated as 5 on the VEI, and the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo was rated as a 6. This second phase erupted trachyandesite.https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11784573 Scientists picture Icelandic volcano's 'plumbing' BBC News 18 November 2010 Amos Jonathan This volcanic activity was highly disruptive to air travel because of a combination of factors:Volcano Grimsvötn: how is the European response different to the Eyjafjallajökull eruption last year? Frequently Asked Questions https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_11_346 European Commission European Commission 17 May 2026 26 May 2011 The volcano is directly under the jet stream.Krishnamurthy P. ‘Eyjafjallajokull’ Volcano of Iceland https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geosocindia/jour-geosocindia/article/76/3/296/721983/Eyjafjallajokull-Volcano-of-Iceland GeoScienceWorld Journal of the Geological Society of India 17 May 2026 English 10.17491/58598-90158-1 1 September 2010 The direction of the jet stream was unusually stable at the time of the eruption's second phase, continuously southeast.Icelandic Volcano – Will eruption affect flights? https://www.imetalloys.com/articles/icelandic-volcano-will-eruption-affect-flights/ IMET Alloys IMET Alloys Ltd. 17 May 2026 The second eruptive phase happened under 200 m ft on of glacial ice.Monitoring of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosol by the new European Skynet Radiometers (ESR) network https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231011010338 Science Direct Elsevier March 2012 17 May 2026 The resulting meltwater flowed back into the erupting volcano, which created two specific phenomena: The rapidly vaporising water significantly increased the eruption's explosive power. The erupting lava cooled very fast, which created a cloud of highly abrasive, glass-rich ash. The volcano's explosive power was enough to inject ash directly into the jet stream.Monitoring of Eyjafjallajökull volcanic aerosol by the new European Skynet Radiometers (ESR) network https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1352231011010338 Science Direct Elsevier March 2012 17 May 2026 Public observations thumb|People observing the first fissure at Fimmvörðuháls "Volcano tourism" quickly sprang up in the wake of the eruption, with local tour companies offering day trips to see the volcano.http://www.icenews.is/index.php/information/eyjafjallajokull/ IceNews Icenews.is 21 June 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100701210428/http://www.icenews.is/index.php/information/eyjafjallajokull/ 1 July 2010 live The Civil Protection Departmenthttp://www.almannavarnir.is/displayer.asp?cat_id=413 Eruption at the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic system Almannavarnir.is 10 September 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20100425021936/http://www.almannavarnir.is/displayer.asp?cat_id=413 25 April 2010 dead of the Icelandic Police produced regular reports about access to the area, including a map of the restricted area around Eyjafjallajokull, from which the public was forbidden. Teams from the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue were stationed at the eruption site as part of standard safety measures and to assist in enforcing access restrictions. Vodafone and the Icelandic telecommunications company Míla installed webcams, giving views of the eruption from Valahnúkur, Hvolsvöllur, and Þórólfsfell. The view of the eruption from Þórólfsfel also includes a thermal imaging camera. Scientific observations The London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC), part of the UK Met Office, was responsible for forecasting the presence of volcanic ash in the north-east Atlantic. All ash dispersion models for this geographic region were produced by the VAAC in London. A study by the Icelandic Meteorological Office published in December 2009 indicated an increase in seismic activity around the Eyjafjallajökull area during the years 2006–2009. The study reported increased activity that occurred between June and August 2009 (200 events), compared to a total of about 250 earthquakes recorded between September 2006 and August 2009. It further indicated that the locations of most of the earthquakes in 2009 occurred between 8 and 12 km ft on depth east of the volcano's top crater.http://www.vedur.is/media/vedurstofan/utgafa/skyrslur/2009/VI_2009_013.pdf Seismic Signs of Magma Pathways through the Crust in the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, South Iceland 19 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100331081259/http://www.vedur.is/media/vedurstofan/utgafa/skyrslur/2009/VI_2009_013.pdf 31 March 2010 live At the end of December 2009, seismic activity began around the Eyjafjallajökull volcano area, with thousands of small earthquakes (mostly of magnitude 1–2 Mw), 7 to 10 km ft on beneath the volcano.Veðurstofa Íslands (5 March 2010) Jarðskjálftahrina undir Eyjafjallajökli Veðurstofa Ísland (The Meteorological Institute of Iceland) http://www.vedur.is/um-vi/frettir/2010/nr/1831 9 May 2011 The radar stations of the Meteorological Institute of Iceland did not detect any appreciable amount of volcanic ashfall during the first 24 hours of the eruption.21 March 2010 Eldgos í Eyjafjallajökli http://www.vedur.is/um-vi/frettir/2010/nr/1844 9 May 2011 Veðurstofa Íslands However, during the night of 22 March, they reported some volcanic ash fall reaching the Fljótshlíð area (20 to 25 km mi on or northwest of the eruption's location) and Hvolsvöllur town (40 km mi northwest of the eruption location) leaving vehicles with a fine, grey layer of volcanic ash. At around 07:00 on 22 March, an explosion launched eruption columns which reached altitudes of 4 km mi on. This was the highest plume since the eruption started.Tímabundinn kraftur í gosinu Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/22/timabundinn_kraftur_i_gosinu/ 9 May 2011 On 23 March, a small vapour explosion took place, when hot magma came into contact with nearby snowdrifts, emitting a vapour plume which reached an altitude of 7 km ft on, and was detected on radar from the Meteorological Institute of Iceland. After that, many further vapour explosions occurred.Ríkisútvarpið fréttavefur Krafturinn ekki aukist RÚV 23 March 2010 http://www.ruv.is/frett/krafturinn-ekki-aukist 9 May 2011 By 26 March 2010, the global positioning system (GPS) equipment used by the Iceland Meteorological Office at Þorvaldseyri farm in the Eyjafjöll area (around 15 km mi on or southeast of the location of the recent eruption)Measurements made by using maps and measurement tools from Fasteignaskrá Íslandskort Fasteignaskrá measurement tools http://www.fasteignaskra.is/pages/943 9 May 2011 26 May 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100526024534/http://www.fasteignaskra.is/pages/943 dead had shown 3 cm of displacement of the local crust in a southward direction, of which a 1 cm displacement had taken place within four days.http://notendur.hi.is/runa/eyja_gps.html GPS time series for Eyjafjallajökull and Katla Volcano Notendur.hi.is 10 September 2012 12 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120612085301/https://notendur.hi.is/runa/eyja_gps.html dead This unusual seismic activity, along with the rapid movement of the Earth's crust in the area, gave geophysicists evidence that magma was flowing from underneath the crust into Eyjafjallajökull's magma chamber and that pressure stemming from the process caused the crustal displacement at Þorvaldseyri farm.Morgublaðið (26 February 2010) Innskot undir Eyjafjallajökli Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/02/26/innskot_undir_eyjafjallajokli/ 9 May 2011 The seismic activity continued to increase, and from 3 to 5 March, close to 3,000 earthquakes were measured having their epicentre at the volcano. Most of these were too small (magnitude 2) to be interpreted as precursors to an eruption, but some could be detected in nearby towns.Fyrsta háskastigi lýst yfir Morgunblaðið http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/05/fyrsta_haskastigi_lyst_yfir/ 9 May 2011 The grounding of European flights avoided about 3.448 kg of CO2 emissions per day, while the volcano emitted about 1.58 kg of CO2 per day.UNEP Year Book2011, An Overview of Our Changing Environment, United Nations Environment Programme 2011 page 2. Accessed 30 June 2013. Archived 5 July 2013. Phase 1: Effusive eruption The first phase of the eruption lasted from 20 March to 12 April 2010 and was characterised by olivine basaltic andesite lava flowing from various eruptive vents on the flanks of the mountain. Evacuations About 500 farmers and their families had to escape from the areas of Fljótshlíð, Eyjafjöll, and Landeyjar were evacuated overnight (including a group of 30 schoolchildren and their three teachershttp://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Children-flee-lives-volcano-erupts/article-1931098-detail/article.html https://archive.today/20130505114019/http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/Children-flee-lives-volcano-erupts/article-1931098-detail/article.html dead 5 May 2013 Caistor children flee as Iceland volcano erupts | Grimsby Telegraph Thisisgrimsby.co.uk 22 March 2010 24 November 2015http://www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/caistor-news/Local-students-flee-volcano-terror.6171137.jp Local students flee volcano terror Skegness Standard 22 March 2010 24 November 2015 from Caistor Grammar School in England), and flights to and from Reykjavík and Keflavík International Airport were postponed, but on the evening of 21 March, domestic and international air traffic was allowed again.http://www.visir.is/article/20100320/FRETTIR01/946441584 Gos hafið í Eyjafjallajökli – Vísir visir.is 21 March 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100324210550/http://www.visir.is/article/20100320/FRETTIR01/946441584 24 March 2010Volcanic eruption in Eyjafjallaglacier – flights to Iceland are on hold https://web.archive.org/web/20100324045346/http://www.icelandair.us/information/media/newslist/detail/item426219/Volcanic_eruption_in_Eyjafjallaglacier_-_flights_to_Iceland_are_on_hold_More/ 24 March 2010 . Icelandair. Retrieved 21 March 2010.Fyrsta vél frá Boston í loftið klukkan hálf fimm Vísir 21 March 2010 http://www.visir.is/article/20100321/FRETTIR01/660839071 9 May 2011 Inhabitants of the risk zone of Fljótshlíð, Eyjafjöll, and Landeyjar area were allowed to return to their farms and homes after an evening meeting with the Civil Protection Department on 22 March and the evacuation plan was temporarily dismissed. Instead, the police closed the road to Þórsmörk and the four-wheel-drive trail from Skógar village to the Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass, but these roads and trails were reopened on 29 March, though only for suitable four-wheel drive vehicles. When the second fissure appeared, the road was closed again because of the danger of flash floods, which could have developed if the fissure had opened near big ice caps or other snow reservoirs, but the road was again opened at around noon on 1 April.Morgunblaðið 1. April Gosslóðirnar opnaðar aftur Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/04/01/gosslodirnar_opnadar_aftur/ 9 May 2011Eyjan 1. April Litlar líkur taldar á öðru gosi við Eyjafjallajökul Eyjan http://eyjan.is/blog/2010/03/30/litlar-likur-taldar-a-odru-gosi-vid-eyjafjallajokul-vegurinn-inn-i-thorsmork-opnadur/ http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100331102003/http://eyjan.is/blog/2010/03/30/litlar%2Dlikur%2Dtaldar%2Da%2Dodru%2Dgosi%2Dvid%2Deyjafjallajokul%2Dvegurinn%2Dinn%2Di%2Dthorsmork%2Dopnadur/ dead 31 March 2010 9 May 2011Morgunblaðið 22. Mars 2010 Rýmingu aflétt Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/22/rymingu_aflett/ 9 May 2011 Effects on the river On 22 March, a flow meter device in the Krossá glacial river (which drains Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers) in the Þórsmörk area (a few kilometres north-west of the erupting location) started to record a sudden rise in water level and water temperature – the total water temperature rose by 6 C-change 0 over a two-hour period, which had never happened so quickly in the Krossá river since measurements began. Shortly afterward, the water level returned to normal and water temperature decreased.Meteorological Institute of Iceland: Eruption in Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass Elsdgosið í Fimmvörðuhálsi Veðurstofa Ísland http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/frodleikur/greinar/nr/1847 9 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110523181847/http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/frodleikur/greinar//nr/1847 23 May 2011 live This rise in water temperature was thought to be related to the eruption nearby and was affecting part of the Krossá drainage basin. The temperature of Hruná river, which flows through the narrow Hrunárgil canyon, into which part of the lava stream was flowing, was recently recorded by geologists to be between 50 and 60 °C 0 on, indicating that the river was cooling the lava in that canyon.Morgunblaðið 29. Mars Mikill hiti í Hruná Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/29/mikilll_hiti_i_hruna/ 9 May 2011 Fissure thumb|Second fissure, viewed from the north, on 2 April 2010 The first phase of the 2010 eruption began late on the evening of 20 March at the Eyjafjallajökull. The initial visual report of the eruption was at 23:52 GMT, when a red cloud was seen at the north slopes of Fimmvörðuháls mountain pass,Eldgosið á Fimmvörðuhálsi http://www.vedur.is/um-vi/frettir/2010/nr/1846/ Vedur.is 9 May 2011http://www.grapevine.is/News/ReadArticle/Volcano-Erupts-Under-Eyjafjallajokull Volcano Erupts Under Eyjafjallajökull – The Reykjavik Grapevine Grapevine.is 24 November 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140111005113/http://www.grapevine.is/News/ReadArticle/Volcano-Erupts-Under-Eyjafjallajokull 11 January 2014 dead lighting up the sky above the eruptive site. The eruption was preceded by intense seismicity and high rates of deformation in the weeks before the eruption, in association with magma recharging of the volcano. Immediately before the eruption, the depth of the seismicity had become shallow, but was not significantly enhanced from what it had been in the previous weeks. Deformation was occurring at rates up to a centimetre a day since 4 March at various GPS sites installed within 12 km mi on from the eruptive site.August 2010 A fissure opened up about 150 m ft in length running in a north-east to south-west direction, with 10 to 12 erupting lava craters ejecting lava at a temperature around 1000 °C -2 on up to 150 m ft on into the air. The lava was alkali olivine basalthttp://www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption?74,23 http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100330054433/http://earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption dead 30 March 2010 Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull Earthice.hi.is 18 April 2010 and was relatively viscous, causing the motion of the lava stream to the west and east of the fissure to be slow. The molten lava flowed more than 4000 m ft on to the north-east of the fissure and into Hrunagil canyon, forming a lava fall more than 200 m ft on long and slowly approaching Þórsmörk, but had not 2010 4 15 yet reached the flood plains of Krossá.Gosið enn í gangi – Farið að bera á öskufalli Vísir fréttvefur http://www.visir.is/article/20100322/FRETTIR01/633234973 9 May 2011Morgunblaðið 22. March 2010 (13:11 GMT) Hraunflæði niður í Hrunagil Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/22/hraunflaedi_nidur_i_hrungil/ 9 May 2011Ríkisútvarpið fréttavefur Eldgosið í jafnvægi Rúv 23 March 2010 http://www.ruv.is/frett/eldgosid-i-jafnvaegi 9 May 2011 On 25 March 2010, while studying the eruption, scientists witnessed, for the first time in history, the formation of a pseudocrater during a steam explosion.Kvöldfréttir Stöðvar Tvö "Viðtal við Ármann Höskuldsson eldfjallafræðing" Fréttastofa Stöðvar Tvö Crustal expansion continued at Þorvaldseyri for two days after the eruption began, but was slowly decreasing whilst the volcanic activity was increasing. This indicates that the rate at which magma was flowing into the magma chamber roughly equaled the rate at which it was being lost due to the eruption, giving evidence that this phase of volcanic activity reached equilibrium.Veðurstofa Íslands (24 March 2010) GPS mælingar Veðurstofa Íslands http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/frodleikur/greinar/nr/1847 9 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110523181847/http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/frodleikur/greinar//nr/1847 23 May 2011 live A new fissure opened on 31 March, around 200 m ft 1 on northwest of the original fissure.Tom Robbins https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2010/apr/03/iceland-erupting-volcano-hyjafjallajoekull Iceland's erupting volcano | Travel The Guardian 3 April 2010 15 April 2010 London https://web.archive.org/web/20100406140157/http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2010/apr/03/iceland-erupting-volcano-hyjafjallajoekull 6 April 2010 live Many witnesses were present while the new fissure opened. It was a bit smaller, around 300 m ft 1 on long according to witnesses, and lava coming from it started to flow into Hvannárgil canyon. These two erupting fissures shared the same magma chamber, according to geophysicists. No unusual seismic activity was detected at the time the new fissure appeared, nor any crustal expansion according to many seismometers and GPS recorders situated in nearby areas.Veðurstofa Íslands Ný gossprunga – skráð 01.04.2010 kl. 10:00 Veðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic Meteorological Office) http://www.vedur.is/skjalftar-og-eldgos/frodleikur/greinar/nr/1847 9 May 2011Morgunblaðið 1. April Vel gekk að rýma gossvæðið Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/04/01/vel_gekk_ad_ryma_gossvaedid/ 9 May 2011 Geophysicist Magnús Tumi Einarsson said (at a press meeting in Hvolsvöllur on 21 March) that this eruption was small compared to, for example, the eruption of Hekla in 2000. The eruption, rather than taking place under the ice cap of the glacier, occurred in the mountain pass between the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers. As long as the fissure was not near the glacier, the risk of flooding was minimal; however, the fissure could extend into the ice cap, thereby greatly increasing the risk of flooding.Eldgosið er lítið Morgunblaðið http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/21/eldgosid_er_litid/ 9 May 2011 Phase 2: Explosive eruption thumb|Photograph from satellite Aqua showing the ash plume over North Atlantic at 13:30 GMT on 15 April thumb|The estimated ash cloud at 18:00 GMT on 15 April. After a short hiatus in eruptive activity, and a large increase in seismic activity 23:00 on 13 April and 1:00 on 14 April, a new set of craters opened early in the morning of 14 April 2010 under the volcano's ice-covered central summit caldera. The earthquake swarm was followed by the onset of a seismic eruption tremor. Meltwater started to emanate from the ice cap around 07:00 on 14 April and an eruption plume was observed in the early morning. Visual observations were greatly restricted due to cloud cover over the volcano, but an aeroplane of the Icelandic Coast Guard imaged eruptive craters with radar instruments. A series of vents along a two-kilometre-long north–south-oriented fissure was active, with meltwater flowing mostly down the northern slopes of the volcano, but also to the south. An ash-loaded eruption plume rose to more than 8 km ft on, deflected to the east by westerly winds.February 2017 Ash analysis left|thumb|Upper: Ash covers the Thórsmörk valley in early June 2010, immediately after the eruption Lower: The same area, in September 2011 Samples of volcanic ash collected near the eruption showed a silica concentration of 58%—much higher than in the lava flows. The concentration of water-soluble fluoride was one-third of the concentration typical in Hekla eruptions, with a mean value of 104 mg of fluoride per kg of ash. Agriculture is important in this region of Iceland,A report in Icelandic: Landbúnaður skiptir máli (transl. "Agriculture matters") says that 28% of the total workforce in agriculture are scattered throughout southern Iceland.Landbúnaður skiptir máli Bændasamtök Íslands http://www.bondi.is/lisalib/getfile.aspx?itemid=1787 9 May 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110722020857/http://www.bondi.is/lisalib/getfile.aspx?itemid=1787 22 July 2011 dead and farmers near the volcano have been warned not to let their livestock drink from contaminated streams and water sources,Morgunblaðið 23. March 2010 Ekki mikið af flúor í öskunni Morgunblaðið http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2010/03/23/ekki_mikid_af_fluor_i_oskunni/ 9 May 2011 as high concentrations of fluoride can have deadly renal and hepatic effects, particularly in sheep.Experimental Acute Sodium Fluoride Poisoning in Sheep: Renal, Hepatic, and Metabolic Effects M. KESSABI, A. HAMLIRI, J. P. BRAUN and A. G. RICO: Département de Toxicologie, Pharmacie et Biochimie, Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II B.P. 6202, Rabat-Agdal, Maroc {dagger}Département de Biochimie et Biophysique, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire 23, chemin des Capelles, 31076 Toulouse, France 1985 10.1093/toxsci/5.6part1.1025 http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/5/6part1/1025 9 May 2011 Kessabi M. Hamliri A. Braun J. P. Rico A. G. 5 6part1 1025–1033 2868958 subscription Impact on farming The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority released an announcement on 18 April 2010, asking that all horse owners who keep their herds outside be on the alert for ash fall. Where ash fall was significant, all horses had to be sheltered indoors.http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&ew_0_a_id=360973 Ash from Iceland Volcano Endangers Horses Iceland Review 20 April 2010 19 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100421014158/http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&ew_0_a_id=360973 21 April 2010 live The thick layer of ash that had fallen on some Icelandic pastures and farms at Raufarfell had become wet and compact, making it very difficult to continue farming, harvesting, or grazing livestock.http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=361092 Ash Fall Causes South Iceland Farmers Serious Trouble Iceland Review 18 April 2010 21 April 2010 13 July 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110713001657/http://icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16539&ew_0_a_id=361092 dead Timeline of the second eruption phase Unlike the earlier eruption phase, the second phase occurred beneath glacial ice. Cold water from melted ice quickly chilled the lava, causing it to fragment into highly abrasive glass particles that were then carried into the eruption plume. This, together with the magnitude of the eruption (estimated to be VEI 4) and being 10 to 20 times larger than the eruption of Fimmvörðuháls on 20 March, injected a glass-rich ash plume into the jet stream. Pulsating explosive activity on 17 April 2010, able to be observed because of the fine weather, was later understood to be due to periodic clogging/plugging of the conduit associated with the rise and degassing of more magma.Pálmadóttir E. 2016 The 2010 Eyjafjallajökull summit eruption: Nature of the explosive activity in the initial phase (Doctoral dissertation) University of Iceland 19 June 2024 1–93 https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/24907/1/The%202010%20Eyjafjallajokull%20summit%20eruption.%20Nature%20of%20the%20explosive%20activity%20in%20the%20inital%20phase..pdf80 In addition to volcanic ash being very hazardous to aircraft,https://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/9032564 Iceland's volcanic ash halts flights across Europe | World news The Guardian UK 23 January 2008 18 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100423175956/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9032564 23 April 2010 live the location of this eruption directly under the flow of the jet stream ensured that the ash was carried into the heavily used airspace over northern and central Europe. Phase 3: Return to dormancy thumb|upright|A necklace made from the ash of the 2010 eruption: Jewellery and similar memorabilia of the eruption are now sold in Iceland. By the morning of 24 May 2010, the view from the web camera installed on Þórólfsfellhttp://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/ Eyjafjallajökull frá Hvolsvelli eldgos.mila.is https://web.archive.org/web/20100424035616/http://eldgos.mila.is/eyjafjallajokull-fra-thorolfsfelli/ 24 April 2010 showed only a plume of water vapour surrounded by a bluish haze caused by emission of sulphurous gases. Due to the large quantities of dry volcanic ash lying on the ground, surface winds frequently lifted up an "ash mist" that significantly reduced visibility and made web camera observation of the volcano impossible.http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1884 Articles < Seismicity < Icelandic Meteorological office En.vedur.is 28 May 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100529092847/http://en.vedur.is/earthquakes-and-volcanism/articles/nr/1884 29 May 2010 live On 21 June 2010, data from seismic recorders in the area indicated that the frequency and strength of earth tremors had diminished, but were continuing.http://www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption University of Iceland reports and scientists' quotes Earthice.hi.is 21 June 2010 http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100330054433/www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption 30 March 2010 dead In October 2010, Ármann Höskuldsson, a scientist at the University of Iceland Institute of Earth Sciences, stated that the eruption was officially over, although the area was still geothermally active and might erupt again. During the eruption, as news readers found the name "Eyjafjallajökull" difficult to pronounce a pronunciation guide was published by the BBC.Blake Heidi Blake Volcanic ash cloud: British attempts to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull causes hilarity in Iceland https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/iceland/7604207/Volcanic-ash-cloud-British-attempts-to-pronounce-Eyjafjallajokull-causes-hilarity-in-Iceland.html The Telegraph Telegraph Media Group Holdings 17 May 2026 19 April 2010Shockey Linda How to Say: Eyjafjallajoekull https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2010/04/how_to_say_eyjafjallajoekull.shtml BBC NEWS Magazine Monitor 17 May 2026 15 April 2010 Volume of erupted material and magma discharge The Institute of Earth Scienceshttp://www.earthice.hi.is/ Institute of Earth Sciences Earthice.hi.is 21 June 2010 28 May 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170528105735/http://earthice.hi.is/ dead made a preliminary estimate of erupted material in the first three days of the eruption on 14 April 2010 at Eyjafjallajökull. The erupted products were fragmented material, the majority fine-grained airborne tephra. Eruptive products can be split into three categories along with preliminary estimated erupted volumes: Material (tephra) in the ice cauldrons around the volcanic vents: 30 e6m3 cuyd Tephra filling the glacial lagoon of Gígjökulslón, carried by floods down the outlet glacier Gígjökull: 10 e6m3 cuyd Airborne tephra that was carried to the east and south of the volcano, uncompacted tephra fallout from eruption plume: 100 e6m3 cuyd Total: 140 e6m3 cuyd which corresponds to some 70 – 80 e6m3 cuyd of magma. The magma discharge rate was about 300 m3/s or 750 t/s. This was 10–20 times the average discharge rate in the preceding flank eruption at Fimmvörðuháls. (First eruption on 20 March 2010).http://www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption?79,61 http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100330054433/http://earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption dead 30 March 2010 Eruption in Eyjafjallajökull Earthice.hi.is 21 April 2010 The IES updated the eruption flow rate on 21 April 2010 to an estimation less than 30 m3/s of magma, or 75 t/s, with a large uncertainty. IES also noted that the eruption continue with less explosive activity.http://www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption ERUPTION in Eyjafjallajökull Earthice.hi.is 28 May 2010 http://wayback.vefsafn.is/wayback/20100330054433/www.earthice.hi.is/page/ies_Eyjafjallajokull_eruption 30 March 2010 dead Health effects No human fatalities were reported from the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull. Those who lived near the volcano had high levels of irritation symptoms, though their lung function was not lower than expected.A survey of early health effects of the Eyjafjallajökull 2010 eruption in Iceland: a population-based study Carlsen HK BMJ Open February 2012 2 2 e000343 10.1136/bmjopen-2011-000343 free 22403340 etal 3298836 Six months later, the population living in the area had more respiratory symptoms than a control group from North Iceland, with no ashfall.Health effects following the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption: a cohort study Carlsen HK BMJ Open June 2012 2 6 e001851 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-001851 free 23144261 3533043 etal In Scotland, the number of phone calls to health services for respiratory and eye irritation did not rise significantly.http://www.eurosurveillance.org/images/dynamic/EE/V15N23/art19583.pdf Syndromic surveillance to assess the potential public health impact of the Icelandic volcanic ash plume across the United Kingdom, April 2010 Elliot AJ Euro Surveillance June 2010 15 23 3 September 2014 etal 20546694 Effects of the ash plume on air travel Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption Volcanic ash is a major hazard to aircraft.C. M. Riley, "Tephra" Michigan Technological University Geological & Mining, Engineering & Sciences, Retrieved on 23 January 2008. Smoke and ash from eruptions reduce visibility for visual navigation, and microscopic debris in the ash can sandblast windscreens and melt in the heat of aircraft turbine engines, damaging engines and making them shut down. Many flights within, to, and from Europe were cancelled following 14 April 2010 eruption, and although no commercial aircraft were damaged, the engines of some military aircraft were harmed.Hickman Martin https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/raf-grounds-fighter-jets-after-volcanic-dust-is-found-in-engines-1951953.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/raf-grounds-fighter-jets-after-volcanic-dust-is-found-in-engines-1951953.html 1 May 2022 subscription RAF grounds fighter jets after volcanic dust is found in engines | Home News | News The Independent 23 April 2010http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html PICTURES: Finnish F-18 engine check reveals effects of volcanic dust 16 April 2010 flightglobal.com https://web.archive.org/web/20100420162516/http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html 20 April 2010 The presence and location of the plume depends upon the state of the eruption and the winds. While some ash fell on uninhabited areas in Iceland, most had been carried by westerly winds, resulting in the shutdown of airspace over much of Europe. The shutdown had a knock on impact on the economy and cultural events across Europe. The Icelandic flag carrier airline, Icelandair, seemed at first especially vulnerable, but managed to deal effectively with the eruption, and subsequently published a detailed report about its actions and conclusions.24 August 2012 Icelandair and the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in 2010 http://www.icelandair.is/specials/pages/is/eyjafjallajokull/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140504141923/http://www.icelandair.is/specials/pages/is/eyjafjallajokull/ 4 May 2014 3 March 2021 Icelandair.is Short- and long-term weather and environmental effects right|thumb|Possible ash fallout from Eyjafjallajökull on a car, Manchester, England, 21 April 2010 At the mouth of the crater, the gases, ejecta, and volcanic plume created a rare weather phenomenon known as volcanic lightning (or a "dirty thunderstorm").http://www.nbcnews.com/id/36645958 https://web.archive.org/web/20150218111331/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/36645958 dead 18 February 2015 'Dirty thunderstorm': Lightning in a volcano — Picture Stories NBC News 23 February 2007 21 April 2010 When rocks and other ejecta collide with one another, they create static electricity. This, with the abundant water-ice at the summit, aids in making lightning.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article3889902.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20080517111521/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article3889902.ece dead 17 May 2008 Dirty thunderstorm shoots lightning from volcano Simons Paul 8 May 2008 The Times UK 19 April 2010 High-fluoride Hekla eruptions from Iceland had previously posed a threat to foraging livestock, especially sheep. Fluoride poisoning can start in sheep at a diet with fluorine content of 5 to 10 mg/kg with the type of fluoride salts formed a factor in the toxicity.Delmelle P. Maters E.C. Calkins J.A. Gaspard F. Opfergelt S Jenkins S.F. 2021 Eruptive style controls the formation of silicon hexafluoride salts on volcanic ash: The case of the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland Chemical Geology 579 120327 16 June 2026 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120327 2021ChGeo.57920327D https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009254121002710 2078.1/246444 free At 250 ppm, death can occur within a few days. In 1783, 79% of the Icelandic sheep stock were killed, probably as a result of fluorosis caused by the eruption of Laki.Thorarinsson, Hekla, A Notorious Volcano, p. 39–58 The effect also spread beyond Iceland.Tom de Castella 16 April 2010 https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8624791.stm The eruption that changed Iceland forever BBC News 18 April 2010 Later detailed analysis found that ash from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption varied in its fluoride content from between 843 and 1297 mg/kg and had variation in salt compositional and time in the eruption sequence risk that was not understood at the time. Large-scale release of sulfur dioxide into the troposphere also posed a potential health risk, as English reports of the 1783 eruption noted that it causing a fog of sulfur dioxide mixed with water vapour that in the lungs choked farm labourers. As of 15 April, the eruption was not large enough to have an effect on global temperatures like that of Mount Pinatubo and other major past volcanic eruptions.https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36556083 Volcano could mean cooling, acid rain: 'Not like Pinatubo' so far, but potential is there NBC News 15 April 2010 9 May 2011Sara Phillips "Icelandic volcano won't affect the world's climate" ABC, 16 April 2010. One previous related sequence of eruptions of this volcano, beginning in 1821 is recorded as having lasted for over two years, but no single set of major eruptions is known to have lasted more than 'several days'. Comparison to past eruptions The eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull and the largest ash plume associated with the second eruption phase were not unparalleled in either volume or abundance; however, the location was the critical factor because it affected air travel across Europe. Neither phase of the eruption was unusually powerful.http://www.icenews.is/2010/05/05/geologist-answers-iceland-volcano-questions/#axzz4MPPfEUaS Geologist Ari Trausti Guðmundsson answers Iceland volcano questions IceNews – Daily News Alex 16 December 2016 1 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190801181432/http://www.icenews.is/2010/05/05/geologist-answers-iceland-volcano-questions/#axzz4MPPfEUaS deadhttp://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100419.html APOD: 19 April 2010 – Ash and Lightning Above an Icelandic Volcano Antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov 21 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100422000434/http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100419.html 22 April 2010 live Other notable volcanic eruptions include the eruption of Mount Pinatubo of 1991 of VEI 6. This eruption lasted eight days, from 7–15 June of that year, with an ash cloud that would have required additional days to dissipate,https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ The Cataclysmic 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines United States Geological Survey 28 February 2005 19 April 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100503031326/http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97/ 3 May 2010 live and resulted in worldwide abnormal weather and decrease in global temperature over the next few years. However, the second phase of Eyjafjallajökull's eruption lasted longer than that of Mount Pinatubo. In popular culture The eruptions were a key plot point of the 2013 French comedy Eyjafjallajökull.http://www.jpbox-office.com/fichfilm.php?id=13646 Eyjafjallajökull (2013) – JPBox-Office British-American rapper MF Doom references the eruptions in the opening lines of his song "Guv'nor", on his 2012 album Key to the Kuffs, with the line "Catch a throatful from the fire vocal, with ash and molten glass like Eyjafjallajökull".https://genius.com/Jj-doom-guvnor-lyrics JJ DOOM – Guv'nor Writing for Time, Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović used Icelandic musician Björk's reverential reaction to the eruptions to praise her uniqueness as an artist.https://time.com/collection-post/3823157/bjork-2015-time-100/ Marina Abramovic Marina Abramović Time 16 April 2015 27 August 2023 Björk by Marina Abramovic: TIME 100 See also Volcanoes Iceland 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi 2014–2015 eruption of Bárðarbunga Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption British Airways Flight 9 Effects of the April 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption KLM Flight 867 Laki List of volcanoes in Iceland North Atlantic oscillation Timeline of volcanism on Earth Tuya References External links Frequently Asked Questions on the Eruption in Iceland – from the Icelandic Met Office BBC webpage with film of the volcano, taken from 500m from the crater's edge, by Chris Weber on 13 May 2010 Volcanic Ash and Aviation Safety – SKYbrary guidance to pilots and controllers concerning the effects of volcanic ash. Collection of Scientific Earth Observations and Models https://web.archive.org/web/20100421164012/http://wiki.esipfed.org/index.php/100415_IcelandVolcanicErruption_Data#Surface_Observations 21 April 2010 NASA Earth Observatory satellite imagery Satellite evidence of hot lava flows from an Icelandic volcano (CIMSS Satellite Blog) (March 2010) Description of beginning of current eruption, (March 2010), Icelandic Met Office Photography A short time-lapse from 17 April 2010. About 30 minutes played in 18 seconds. Icelandic Coast Guard, radar images of the volcano Audio Volcanic Eyjafjallajökull run off: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall (binaural recording optimised for headphones) Category:2010 in aviation Category:2010 in Iceland Category:2010 natural disasters Category:2010s disasters in Iceland Category:21st-century volcanic events Category:March 2010 in Europe Category:April 2010 in Europe Category:May 2010 in Europe Category:June 2010 in Europe Category:VEI-4 eruptions Category:Strombolian eruptions Category:Vulcanian eruptions Category:Air traffic control in Europe Category:East Volcanic Zone of Iceland Category:Volcanic eruptions in Iceland Category:History of air traffic control Category:Eyjafjallajökull