Eyjafjallajokull (AYA-feeyapla-yurkul) is spewing again, once more shutting down airports and hindering travel. The last time Eyjafjallajokull erupted in 1821, the result of the eruption was long-term and devastating to the area and people around Eyjafjallajokull.
History of Eyjafjallajokull
Iceland is considered a “hot spot” for volcanic activity. In the Middle Ages, the residents of Iceland called one volcano “Gateway to Hell,” because they believed that souls were dragged into the fire below. Volcanic eruptions in Iceland have a history of catastrophic and deadly consequences.
The Eyjafjallajokull Glacier is the fifth largest glacier on Iceland. The first eruption of Eyjafjallajokull on record is in 550 AD. The next was 920 AD. Then Eyjafjallajokull was dormant until a 1612 eruption. Eyjafjallajokull did not erupt again until December 19, 1821.
That eruption was referred to as a “lazy” eruption, which lasted slowly and continuously until the eruption finally stopped in 1823. There was little, if any cooling that is sometimes associated with volcanic eruptions. During that eruption, there were sub-glacial as well as explosive eruptions. The situation worsened when more explosions occurred in June 1822, during the same eruption that began several months earlier. Amid the smoke, ash, and spread of toxic fluoride gas, there was glacial flooding and damage to animal and human life. Farmers attributed the death of their cattle and sheep to the toxic gases of the volcanic eruption. This caused serious financial loss to the farmers and other economic and health issues at the time.
Eyjafjallajokull has a secret that historians have revealed. That secret is a sister named Katla. Just as had occurred previously when Eyjafjallajokull erupted, the eruption of 1821 was no exception. Katla soon erupted.
Katla and Eyjafjallajokull
Katla is six times larger than Eyjafjallajokull, and is located about sixteen miles away. Historians have revealed that every time Eyjafjallajokull erupts, so does Katla. Therefore, experts are watching Katla closely, even though scientists have never been able to prove a direct correlation between the two volcanoes eruptions. Some believe that the two are indeed connected, through fissures. Some professionals feel that it is not a question of if Katla will erupt, but when. Geologists around the world seem to agree that if Katla erupts any time soon, there could be global effects of that eruption. If Katla, located under an icecap erupts, there could be devastating flooding and explosions, with potential for significant consequences to animal and human life, as well as global cooling.
Lessons Learned from Eyjafjallajokull’s Past Record
The eruptions at Eyjafjallajokull have not caused the catastrophic damage that some other Icelandic volcanic eruptions have caused, but Eyjafjallajokull has caused scientists and other professionals to take note, based on the 1821 eruption, as well as its other history. If it turns out to be true that there is a link between the eruptions of Eyjafjallajokull and Katla, then knowing when Eyjafjallajokull is going to erupt can potentially lead to better knowledge of when Katla may erupt. Through scientific and strategic planning, such information may minimize the catastrophic consequences and loss of animal and human life, as well as the effects on the environment.
Sources
businessinsider.com/1821-eyjafjallajokull-erupted
csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0322/
icelandviking.com/volcanoes/eyjafjallajokull-volcano-eruption
volcano.si.edu/world/volcano
