Blog Post #12

Eyjafjallajökull was an unknown town in Iceland to most Americans until the volcano near the site began to erupt. The volcano is thought to have began erupting on March 20, 2010, but the cloud of ash that is hovering over the country now took affect on April 14. The eruption is causing many complications worldwide. The location of the volcano is fairly convenient since is is surrounded by water, but the effects it will cause on the sea life will be fatal. The huge cloud of ash is not just hovering over the country either; the enormous cloud is moving toward Europe and the United Kingdom affecting their economies as well.

By late Sunday, April 18, more than 63,000 flights had been cancelled in 23 European countries. Although the lack of travel causes many inconveniences for people traveling, the loss of air transportation affects many other nations as well. For instance, many American flights to and from Europe were cancelled and huge amounts of Africa's exports cannot be shipped and are rotting in warehouses instead. The Iceland economy must be suffering tremendously, but it is crazy how the catastrophe can affect so many other countries on opposite sides of the globe.

The last time the volcano had any activity was back in 1821 and the spewing ash and lava lasted about 2 years. Extreme obstacles would step into play if the huge cloud of ash were to continue throughout the year. An economic downturn could take place. The volcano itself is not the main problem; the bigger issue is what it creates: ash. Down below the outer layer of the earth's crust, hot volcanic rock passes through overlying ice as it emerges from beneath the earth, which produces fine ash. The eruptions, however, have made the Iceland soil rich in lava deposits. The volcanoes also play a major role in Iceland's topography as well as the vegetation and plant growth. Overall, the volcanoes play a prime role in creating the country's atmosphere and natural conditions.

The whole volcano disaster is showing Iceland's true colors. Not only are the people worried about how to handle the troubling issue at hand, they also worry about the future. I am sure the people in government positions are working as hard as they can to fix what they are experiencing. Volcanic ash and gasses that are released from the volcano cause many temperature changes and can be acidic, damaging engines. The ash can also cause many health problems if people inhale too much of it, especially for people with asthma and other respiratory problems. Developing a sickness while trying to fight through a volcanic eruption would be a disaster, but more medical aid will eventually be there to help.

The lack of air-travel is very troublesome. They cannot fly through the massive cloud of ash, they would not make it. Without planes to take people out of the country, transporting people to safer conditions proves to be difficult. Cars have a hard time trudging it out through the layers of ash that cover the ground as well as the ash that obstructs the view of the oncoming traffic or other obstacles. Importing resources and aid is also difficult to complete without air transportation. Everything seems like it just keeps getting worse, but Trust in the Lord and He will provide for all your needs.