# 7034
Over the past 24 hours a blog that I wrote back in 2011 (Watching Mt. Hekla) has received a number of fresh hits, primarily because Iceland’s massive volcano has shown signs of stirring over the past couple of days.
This 1,491 meter (4,892 ft) stratovolcano is located in the south of Iceland, and has seen at least 20 eruptions since the year 874, some of them massive and going on for months.
Mt. Hekla is located not far from the far-more-difficult-to-pronounce – Eyjafjallajökull - whose eruptions in April and May of 2010 closed down air traffic over parts of Europe and caused considerable economic impact.
Mt. Hekla last erupted in the year 2000.
According to a pair of reports appearing in Iceland Review Online since yesterday, seismic activity has forced local officials to declare a `level of uncertainty’ regarding this volcano.
First, yesterday morning:
March 26 | Possible Eruption in South Iceland’s Hekla Volcano
The civil protection department has declared a level of uncertainty because of seismic activity in the volcano Hekla in South Iceland as announced by the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police and chief of police in Hvolsvöllur shortly after 11 am this morning. more
And then later in the day:
Daily News
March 26 | No Update on Hekla, Situation to be Reevaluated Tomorrow
There are no observable signs that an eruption of Hekla volcano is imminent and no updates have been issued. The civil protection department will tomorrow reevaluate the level of uncertainty declared today. more
For a far more expert assessment on the threat posed by Mt. Hekla, I would refer you to Erik Klemetti’s excellent Wired Science Eruptions blog.
Alert Status Raised at Iceland’s Hekla
- By Erik Klemetti
- 03.26.13
- 11:39 AM
Erik also blogged on the renewed activity in the Canary Islands yesterday as well:
Earthquakes, Inflation Suggest New Magma Intruding Under El Hierro
As of this writing, there are no clear indications that either of these volcanoes are on the verge of producing a major eruption.
Their seismic activity bears watching, however.
While volcanic eruptions are normally a localized (albeit often destructive and traumatic) event, sometimes they can have global impact.
When Mount Pinatubo erupted in the Philippines in 1991, within a year its aerosol cloud had dispersed around the globe, resulting in `an overall cooling of perhaps as large as -0.4°C over large parts of the Earth in 1992-93’ (see USGS The Atmospheric Impact of the 1991 Mount Pinatubo Eruption).
Just over a year ago, in UK: Civil Threat Risk Assessment, we looked at a short list of disaster scenarios (man-made & natural) that the Cabinet Office believe to be genuine threats to the United Kingdom.
Among these is the impact from a major volcanic eruption.
You may be wondering about the inclusion of a Volcanic threat to a country that isn’t exactly known for its volcanoes. Their concern stems from the impact of volcanic eruptions outside of their country – notably, in Iceland. Specifically they cite:
Severe effusive (gas-rich) volcanic eruptions abroad – The 2010 eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland showed some of the consequences that a volcanic eruption abroad can have on the UK and its citizens. Following consultation with geological and meteorological experts about the potential risks the UK faces from volcanic eruptions in Iceland or elsewhere, the assessment is that there are two main kinds of risk from volcanic eruptions. The irst is an ash-emitting eruption, similar to that in 2010. The second, which is slightly less likely than an ash-emitting eruption, but which could have widespread impacts on health, agriculture and transport, is an effusive-style eruption on the scale of the 1783–84 Laki eruption in Iceland. This second type of eruption is now one of the highest priority risks in the NRA and the NRR.
In 1783 the Craters of Laki in Iceland erupted and over the next 8 months spewed clouds of clouds of deadly hydrofluoric acid & Sulphur Dioxide, killing over half of Iceland’s livestock and roughly 25% of their human population.
These noxious clouds drifted over Europe, and resulted in widespread crop failures and thousands of deaths from direct exposure to these fumes. There are also anecdotal reports that suggest this eruption had short-term global climate impacts as well.
Another eruption of the type and scale seen in 1783 – while unlikely - could present an enormous disaster scenario not only to the UK, but to all of Europe.
Natural disasters, like disease epidemics, can have regional and even global impacts.
Reason enough to monitor these types of threats, no matter where in the world they may be, and to be prepared to deal with whatever might come your way.
In the United States, while Alaska and Hawaii are well known for their volcanic activity, it may surprise many Americans to learn that the United States has 169 `active’ volcanoes within its borders, with about 40 of those in the `lower 48’ states.
Washington is one of those states with a large number of volcanoes, and so May has been proclaimed Volcano Awareness Month.
This week happens to be Tsunami Preparedness Week in the United States - and while truly destructive tsunamis are rare - FEMA and NOAA take these threats seriously.
For more on disaster preparedness, I would invite you to visit Ready.gov, FEMA, or revisit these blogs:
In An Emergency, Who Has Your Back?
