Eyjafjallajökull Volcano – When Will it End?

A lot of us have been reading up on this unpronounceable volcano. But when will it end?

Scientists have been pondering this question for some time. The last time this volcano erupted was in 1821, during which, it continued for 14 months! These yearlong eruptions are rare, but do happen.

The main way to tell when a volcano will stop erupting is by listening to it. The tectonic activity (aka the number of Earthquakes) gives a good indication on whether the end is near. As of now, dozens of earthquakes are measured daily, signaling that the end is no where near.

However, the damage this earthquake is causing cannot be denied. Many airports in Europe have now been shut down because of the ashes and thousands of flight cancellation to and from Europe. Ultimately, this volcano is responsible for the highest level of air travel disruption since the Second World War! Many people do not comprehend the true extent of damage of this volcano. The volcanic cloud created a plume 30,000 ft high, 25 million cubic meters of tephra. On the Volcanic Explosivity Index, Eyjafjallajökull is a 4 (Mount St. Helens was a 5)

It was mainly the farmers and inhabitants of Iceland that were affected by the volcano. The farmers, especially, have to be careful since the ash contaminated the freshwater making it dangerous for the livestock. In addition, the ash itself made farming difficult. The compact farm is difficult to plow through and to remove from the soil. Although ash is actually good for soil since it provides natural minerals, the immediate consequence of a volcanic eruption is obviously negative. Overtime, the soil will adapt to the ash and take advantage of its minerals, creating fertile soil.

Ultimately, it is nature that truly changes the atmosphere of our world. Even though, humans have left an undeniable footprint on our planet, Mother Nature still swarms us with her might. It is rather startling to see the damage and chaos volcanoes and other natural disasters can cause, but it remains an integral part of our society. We cannot change the fact nature impacts us every day, every moment, every second.