Starter quiz
- Iceland is located in which continent?
- North America
- South America
- Africa
- Europe ✓
- Asia
-
- Earth's mantle is being melted and moved by which of Earth's layers?
- the crust
- the mantle
- the core ✓
-
- The impact of a volcano is...
- the effect it has ✓
- the strength of its eruption
- the location it is in
- the duration of its eruption
-
- What does volcanic ash consist of?
- lava
- magma
- minerals
- minerals, rock and glass ✓
-
- The majority of volcanoes occur...
- at tectonic plate boundaries ✓
- randomly
- where land meets the sea
-
- When tectonic plates move away from each other they...
- converge ✓
- diverge
- increase speed
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Exit quiz
- In what year did E15 erupt?
- 2008
- 2010 ✓
- 2012
- 2014
- 2016
-
- Iceland sits on a 16,000km long tectonic plate boundary that cuts through its centre. What is this tectonic plate boundary known as?
- The Mid-Pacific Ridge
- The Mid-Arctic Ridge
- The Mid-Atlantic Ridge ✓
- The Mid-Antarctic Ridge
-
- At the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, two tectonic plates (the North American plate and the Eurasian plate) diverge or move apart. The North American plate moves west and the Eurasian plate moves...
- 'East' ✓
- When E15 erupted it lay beneath a 200m thick sheet of...
- 'ice' ✓
- Ash from the eruption of E15 rose high into the atmosphere and grounded...
- cars
- boats
- aeroplanes ✓
- trains
-
- Which was an impact of flooding from the eruption of E15 in Iceland?
- flights were cancelled
- many lives were lost
- roads were closed and 700 people were evacuated ✓
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Iceland is located on the Mid Atlantic Ridge where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge.
- The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull occurred on 14 April 2010 and continued for over one month.
- Heat from the eruption caused the glacier covering Eyjafjallajökull to melt and the resulting flood water damaged roads.
- Ash from the eruption rose high into the atmosphere and grounded aircraft, impacting on the European economy.
Common misconception
Pupils assume that all volcanic eruptions cause fatalities.
Fatalities are reduced through detection and warning systems; evacuation procedures; emergency service response, training and funding. Iceland is very well prepared for volcanic eruptions.
Keywords
Diverge - To diverge is to go in different directions from the same starting point
Economy - The economy is the way money in a particular area is made and spent
Meltwater - Meltwater is water from the melting of snow or ice
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