2011 eruption of Grímsvötn
Encyclopedia
The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn is an eruption in Grímsvötn
, Iceland
's most active volcano, which caused disruption to air travel in North-Western Europe from 22–25 May 2011. The last eruption of Grímsvötn was in 2004, with the previous most powerful eruptions in 1783, 1873 and 1902. The Grímsvötn eruption is the largest eruption in Iceland for 50 years.
into the air. The eruption plume quickly rose to 65000 feet (19.8 km). A series of small earthquakes had commenced at the time of eruption. Glacial flooding was anticipated, which normally occurs within 10-12 hours after eruption, but never occurred as a flood had occurred the previous autumn, meaning a smaller chance of another flood appearing.
On 25 May, the Iceland Met Office (IMO) confirmed the eruption had paused at 02:40 UTC. Later the BBC reported that the volcanic activity appeared to have stopped. At 15:00 the IMO issued an update stating that no further ash plume is expected. However there are still pulsating explosions producing ash and steam clouds, some reaching a few kilometres in height, rising up from the vents. Also there is still widespread ash in cloud layers up to 5 km from the eruption site.
On 26 May the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the University of Iceland
reported that ashfall is only occurring adjacent to the eruption site. Visual observations indicate that little ice meltwater was produced during the eruption, so that an outburst flood (jökulhlaup) is not expected. Joint status reports will no longer be issued, unless something notable is observed.
The eruption ceased at 7am on 28th May 2011 .
(63%), giving the latter a higher viscosity
. The ash emitted from Grímsvötn is also more coarse than the smaller, more abrasive particles emitted from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption as a result of the basalt-based magma of the Grímsvötn volcano exploding through the glacier, rather than reacting with meltwater.
On 22 May, Iceland closed down its main airport Keflavík International Airport
, with domestic flights cancelled (operated from Reykjavík Airport
) as well. Transatlantic flights had also experienced delays, and the threat of further air travel disruption cut US President
Barack Obama
's state visit to Ireland a day short. Part of Greenland's eastern airspace was also closed, with one flight being cancelled by Air Greenland
between Denmark's Kastrup Airport and Greenland's Kangerlussuaq Airport
.
By 23 May, authorities in Denmark
closed airspace below 4 miles (21,119.9 ft) in the northwestern part of the country, with some delays and cancellations at Copenhagen
.
On 24 May, more than 1,600 flights were grounded as ash clouds travelled over Scotland, with airports in Scotland and northern England closed and 250 UK flights grounded. British Airways
, KLM, Aer Lingus
, Flybe
, BMI
, Loganair
, Eastern Airways
, Easyjet
, and Ryanair
cancelled most flights in the Scotland region, seeing Wales' Cardiff Airport also cancelling inbound and outbound flights by airline Flybe. Certain flights from Northern Ireland were also grounded. (The BBC
has provided a list of affected flights to and from Irish airports). By nightfall, 20 flights had been cancelled to and from Gothenburg's Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
, with anticipated wind shift bringing the ash clouds from southwestern Sweden to the northeast, possibly reaching Stockholm's Arlanda Airport by 02:00 on Wednesday morning. Furthermore, Continental Airlines
Flights 75 and 97 (from Hamburg
and Berlin Tegel to Newark Liberty) had to make stopovers at Gander Airport, Newfoundland
, to refuel as they were assigned more southerly routes that exceeded the Boeing 757-200s' range.
On 25 May, Germany
also shut down airports in the north of the country, specifically Bremen Airport
and Hamburg Airport
at 03:00 and 04:00 CET
, while Berlin Airports were closed from 09:00 CET. 600 flights were affected in Germany, however the closure was lifted by the afternoon.
By 26 May no European airspace was closed due to Grímsvötn volcanic ash, which was dissipating.
However on 27 May Greenlandic airspace was closed due to a concentration of ash over Greenland and the North Atlantic, affecting 1,000 passengers and 20 tonnes of cargo. The following day, certain flights had been restored with a Dash 8 taken out of service for technical issues, leaving minor disruptions to restored services. Ash clouds also remained over the region of Uummannaq
and Upernavik
, meaning northern-bound flights were still subject to weather developments. By Sunday 29 May, more flights and services had been restored, with few passengers stuck in coastal regions with arrivals expected on Monday or Tuesday.
.
-Rotterdam
-Antwerp hub had dropped to $989 on Monday, dropping from $1,003 per ton on 20 May. June jet fuel cargo swaps
dropped to $93.15 per metric tonne on Tuesday compared to $99.45 on Monday trading.
Grímsvötn
The Grímsvötn sub-glacial lakes and the volcano of the same name are in South-East Iceland. They are in the highlands of Iceland at the northwestern side of the Vatnajökull ice-cap. The lakes are at , at an elevation of...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
's most active volcano, which caused disruption to air travel in North-Western Europe from 22–25 May 2011. The last eruption of Grímsvötn was in 2004, with the previous most powerful eruptions in 1783, 1873 and 1902. The Grímsvötn eruption is the largest eruption in Iceland for 50 years.
Timeline
The eruption is estimated to have started under the glacier at around 17:30 UTC on 21 May 2011 when an intense spike in tremor activity was detected. At around 19:00 UTC, the eruption broke the ice cover of the glacier and started spewing volcanic ashVolcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
into the air. The eruption plume quickly rose to 65000 feet (19.8 km). A series of small earthquakes had commenced at the time of eruption. Glacial flooding was anticipated, which normally occurs within 10-12 hours after eruption, but never occurred as a flood had occurred the previous autumn, meaning a smaller chance of another flood appearing.
On 25 May, the Iceland Met Office (IMO) confirmed the eruption had paused at 02:40 UTC. Later the BBC reported that the volcanic activity appeared to have stopped. At 15:00 the IMO issued an update stating that no further ash plume is expected. However there are still pulsating explosions producing ash and steam clouds, some reaching a few kilometres in height, rising up from the vents. Also there is still widespread ash in cloud layers up to 5 km from the eruption site.
On 26 May the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the University of Iceland
University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...
reported that ashfall is only occurring adjacent to the eruption site. Visual observations indicate that little ice meltwater was produced during the eruption, so that an outburst flood (jökulhlaup) is not expected. Joint status reports will no longer be issued, unless something notable is observed.
The eruption ceased at 7am on 28th May 2011 .
Ash characteristics
The ash content from the Grímsvötn volcano has a much lower silica content (50%) compared to the ash from the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
(63%), giving the latter a higher viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
. The ash emitted from Grímsvötn is also more coarse than the smaller, more abrasive particles emitted from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption as a result of the basalt-based magma of the Grímsvötn volcano exploding through the glacier, rather than reacting with meltwater.
Effect on flights
A total of 900 flights (out of 90 000 in Europe) were cancelled as a result of the eruption in the period 23–25 May.On 22 May, Iceland closed down its main airport Keflavík International Airport
Keflavík International Airport
-Cargo airlines:-Ground transport:Transport between the airport and Reykjavik city is by road only. The distance is 50 km. A new fast freeway was opened 2008. The buses have a timetable adapted to the flight schedule. They go to and from the Reykjavik bus terminal, taking around 45 minutes...
, with domestic flights cancelled (operated from Reykjavík Airport
Reykjavík Airport
Reykjavík Airport Reykjavík Airport Reykjavík Airport (Icelandic: Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, is the chiefly domestic airport serving Reykjavík, Iceland. The airport lies two kilometres from Reykjavík's city centre. Possessing rather short runways, it normally only serves flights within Iceland and to...
) as well. Transatlantic flights had also experienced delays, and the threat of further air travel disruption cut US President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's state visit to Ireland a day short. Part of Greenland's eastern airspace was also closed, with one flight being cancelled by Air Greenland
Air Greenland
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, jointly owned by the government of Greenland, the SAS Group, and the government of Denmark...
between Denmark's Kastrup Airport and Greenland's Kangerlussuaq Airport
Kangerlussuaq Airport
Kangerlussuaq Airport is an airport in Kangerlussuaq, a settlement in the Qeqqata municipality in central-western Greenland. Alongside Narsarsuaq Airport, it is one of only two civilian airports in Greenland large enough to handle large airliners, having more stable weather, being located further...
.
By 23 May, authorities in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
closed airspace below 4 miles (21,119.9 ft) in the northwestern part of the country, with some delays and cancellations at Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
On 24 May, more than 1,600 flights were grounded as ash clouds travelled over Scotland, with airports in Scotland and northern England closed and 250 UK flights grounded. British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, KLM, Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
, Flybe
Flybe
Flybe Group PLC is a British low-cost regional airline headquartered at the Jack Walker House at Exeter International Airport in Devon, England...
, BMI
Bmi (airline)
British Midland Airways Limited , is an airline based at Donington Hall in Castle Donington in the United Kingdom, close to East Midlands Airport, and a fully owned subsidiary of Lufthansa...
, Loganair
Loganair
Loganair is a Scottish airline with its registered office on the grounds of Glasgow International Airport and in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. Loganair operates scheduled services under a Flybe franchise in mainland Scotland and to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles. In addition it operates...
, Eastern Airways
Eastern Airways
Eastern Airways is an airline with its head office at Humberside Airport in Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. It operates scheduled domestic and international services and private charter services...
, Easyjet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
, and Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
cancelled most flights in the Scotland region, seeing Wales' Cardiff Airport also cancelling inbound and outbound flights by airline Flybe. Certain flights from Northern Ireland were also grounded. (The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
has provided a list of affected flights to and from Irish airports). By nightfall, 20 flights had been cancelled to and from Gothenburg's Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport
Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport is an international airport serving the Gothenburg region in Sweden. With 4.3 million passengers in 2006 it is Sweden's second-largest airport...
, with anticipated wind shift bringing the ash clouds from southwestern Sweden to the northeast, possibly reaching Stockholm's Arlanda Airport by 02:00 on Wednesday morning. Furthermore, Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
Flights 75 and 97 (from Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Berlin Tegel to Newark Liberty) had to make stopovers at Gander Airport, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, to refuel as they were assigned more southerly routes that exceeded the Boeing 757-200s' range.
On 25 May, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
also shut down airports in the north of the country, specifically Bremen Airport
Bremen Airport
Bremen Airport or Flughafen Bremen serves the German city of Bremen and is located south of the city. There were 2.4 million passengers in 2008.-History:The beginnings of the airport date back to the early 20th century...
and Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport , also known as Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport , is an international airport serving Hamburg, Germany.It originally covered . Since then, the site has grown more than tenfold to . The main apron covers . The airport is north of the centre of the city of Hamburg in the Fuhlsbüttel...
at 03:00 and 04:00 CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
, while Berlin Airports were closed from 09:00 CET. 600 flights were affected in Germany, however the closure was lifted by the afternoon.
By 26 May no European airspace was closed due to Grímsvötn volcanic ash, which was dissipating.
However on 27 May Greenlandic airspace was closed due to a concentration of ash over Greenland and the North Atlantic, affecting 1,000 passengers and 20 tonnes of cargo. The following day, certain flights had been restored with a Dash 8 taken out of service for technical issues, leaving minor disruptions to restored services. Ash clouds also remained over the region of Uummannaq
Uummannaq
Uummannaq is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. With 1,299 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the eleventh-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal...
and Upernavik
Upernavik
Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance...
, meaning northern-bound flights were still subject to weather developments. By Sunday 29 May, more flights and services had been restored, with few passengers stuck in coastal regions with arrivals expected on Monday or Tuesday.
Effect on locals
Kirkjubaejarklaustur was one of the most affected areas by the volcano. The Icelandic civil defence agency Almannavarnir established a service centre to organise clean up efforts and provide a point of contact for people who need help. During a local public meeting on the 26th, residents were permitted to claim for losses and additional costs for those who possess household fire insuranceProperty insurance
Property insurance provides protection against most risks to property, such as fire, theft and some weather damage. This includes specialized forms of insurance such as fire insurance, flood insurance, earthquake insurance, home insurance or boiler insurance. Property is insured in two main...
.
Effect on markets
Trading on jet fuel recovered as concerns on the volcano eased, causing the June swap contract to gain $18.30 to reach $1,019.14 per metric tonne by 16:15 GMT, after having reached a week low of $995.64 on Monday. Jet fuel barges on the AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
-Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
-Antwerp hub had dropped to $989 on Monday, dropping from $1,003 per ton on 20 May. June jet fuel cargo swaps
Basis swap
A basis swap is an interest rate swap which involves the exchange of two floating rate financial instruments. A basis swap functions as a floating-floating interest rate swap under which the floating rate payments are referenced to different bases....
dropped to $93.15 per metric tonne on Tuesday compared to $99.45 on Monday trading.
See also
- Volcanic ash & air safety
- Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionAir travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruptionIn response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
External links
- Update on Grímsvötn Activity – from the Icelandic Met Office and University of Iceland (will be updated if activity resumes)
- Current seismology around Grímsvötn – Earthquakes in last 48 hours
- Webcam by Míla, Iceland (exact location unknown)
- Webcam at Jökulsárlón, south of the volcano, by Míla, Iceland
- Grímsvötn volcanic ash advisory from regional Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, London (updated every 6 hours)
- Grímsvötn updates from NATS – UK air traffic control plus the Eastern part of the North Atlantic
- BBC news report of the 23 May 2011 eruption
- Report on the start of the Grímsvötn eruption from the Icelandic Met Office
- National Geographic Photo Gallery of Grímsvötn's eruption - National Geographic Daily News