LIVING ON THE EDGE
FIRE, ICE AND CLIMATE CHANGE
IN ICELAND
A modern country on the Arctic Circle
• Iceland has 900 volcanoes; 22 are active
• There are four large volcanic centers
There are four main areas of glaciation
• The country’s area is larger than Indiana but smaller than
Kentucky
• Population ~ 320,000
• Farming, fishing, banking, data storage, some industry,
tourism
• Brushed by the Arctic Circle but warmed by the Gulf Stream
Iceland has no military. (Does it depend on “us”? U.S.)
The last war was over cod fishing rights in 1970s.
There are just over 100 prisoners in the entire country.
City police force does not carry guns.
Education through college is free
August, 2009
Eyjafjallajokull Volcano
The volcano appears dormant but small earthquakes increased at this time
signaling the possible movement of magma up towards the surface.
2010 Eruption of Eyjafjallajokull
better known as E 15
February 26: unusual seismic activity
and rapid expansion of earth’s crust as
magma moves up into chamber
March 20 – 26: Fissure eruptions begins,
5 miles from crater
March 27, 2010
April 14 – May 23, 2010
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Crater erupts beneath glacier
Meltwater floods rivers, roads
Evacuation of 800
Explosive lavas
Volcanic ash column extends 5 miles into
atmosphere
April 14 – May 23, 2010
• Glacial meltwater floods and lahars
• Evacuation of 800 residents.
The flood caused by the E-15 eruption
• Consisted of melted glacial ice (water)
– Mixed with erupted volcanic rock, glass and ash
Causes a density flow that travels down grade rapidly
Flows into rivers, across fields and highways
Destructive powerful flow (think wet cement)
Can clog rivers with debris or dislodged ice
Can cause ice damming which may result in a flash flood
when the ice dam is melted or broken
For video: copy and paste this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sryalI57oo
April 14 – May 23, 2010
Volcanic ash column extends 5 miles into atmosphere
Volcanic ash is
composed of fine particles of
sharp-edged glass which can
be ingested by jet engines.
The glass melts and fuses to
metal parts. This can cause
catastrophic engine failure.
April 15
• Ash plume reaches northern Europe in 24 hours
• Air traffic disrupted in mainland Europe
– 100,000 flights canceled; 10 million affected
• Volcano Explosivity Index of 4
– moderate
• Volcanic lightning when
ejected rock, water and ice
collide
• Eruption stops by May 23,
2010
So…what is it like to be
LIVING ON THE EDGE
IN ICELAND?
Fire
active volcanic centers
Ice
glaciers up to 3000 feet thick
11.5% of Iceland’s surface
Climate change
near the Arctic Circle changes in
climate may have dramatic
consequences
Iceland lies on an active plate
boundary: The Mid Atlantic Ridge
• The following map indicates the current model of plate
boundaries; some have been seen and some have never
been seen.
Plate boundaries follow the pattern of earthquakes and
some volcanoes on earth.
• Volcanoes only occur at mid-ocean ridges, convergent
boundaries (subduction zones) and hot spots.
Iceland is one of the few places on earth where the
Mid Ocean Ridge lies above sea level
Iceland is a place where geologists can view and study an actual
divergent plate boundary
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In the following map and inset, note the large mass of extruded lava (rock)
that surrounds Iceland.
The gray area is the part of the Island that is above sea level; but actually,
Iceland’s volcanic deposits extend out into the ocean for hundreds of miles.
Is this excessive volcanic activity along the Mid Ocean Ridge due to “hyper”
volcanism on the ridge?
Or is there another source of lava such as a Hawaiian-type hot spot right
along the ridge?
Some geologists still argue both sides and look at trace elements for
evidence of multiple distinct sources of lava from the mantle.
•
Most are convinced that there is a deep mantle source of magma/lava
that contributes to the large volume of erupted material that makes up
Iceland.
Mid Atlantic Ridge
Rift Valley
Area of low elevation
Bounded by normal faulting
Lava extrudes where crust is thin
What does the Rift Valley of the Mid Atlantic Ridge look li
Area of low elevation
Normal faulting at Thingvellir
Lava rocks
Note: low areas fill with fresh water
eventually marine waters
and an ocean will form between the plates
Walking through the normal fault breaks along the Mid Atlantic Ridge
Thingvellir National Park
European
Plate
N. American
Plate
View from above:
• Young rift valley at
Thingvellir.
• Water occupies low
lying areas.
• rift widens
• marine waters intrude
• ocean basin is formed
• Separating the North
American and Pacific
plates
Life on the Mid Ocean Ridge
The Capital city of Reykjavik lies on the plate boundary
Top FIVE Advantages
Living on the Edge of a volcanic rift zone
• # 1 Hot magma flows closely beneath the
surface
– Geothermal energy source
• In 1960s, Iceland cut oil imports and switched to
geothermal energy and hydrogen fuel for cars
• Use of crude oil is about 20 barrels of oil per day for
300,000 (.00007 barrels per person per day)
• U.S. uses 400 million barrels per day
for 307,000,000 (over a barrel per person per day)
Geothermal plants located in low
valleys close to the magma source
within the rift
European
Plate
Iceland is committed to clean, green, less costly fuels.
Cars and fishing boats remain the principal users of fossil fuels.
A drive to convert to hydrogen fuel is underway.
• # 2 Unlimited hot water and low cost electricity is
generated by geothermal heat
– Beneath the city streets of Reykjavik, local wells
transport steam and hot water directly to homes
• Homes and hotels are heated by radiators
– 98% of space heating is from geothermal
– Water beneath the spreading ridge is 250 degrees C at
depth of 2 km
• # 3 The volcanic landscape provides rich soils
for farming during the long days of the short
growing season in northern latitudes.
• Sheep graze
on the grassy plains.
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# 4 Addition of real estate at no apparent cost
• Surtsey Island appeared suddenly above the
surface of the waters off the coast of Iceland
It has been preserved as an open and living
laboratory for the study of volcanic
processes, vegetation, migratory animals and
high latitude environments.
November, 1963
•Eyewitness to eruption
•Eruption column 4 miles
•First human 3 weeks later
•Plants and birds arrive
• in a short time.
•Studies show new minerals
never before found on Iceland
and one new to the world.
•Access is now limited.
# 5 Leisure and Recreation
Hot springs, sulfur-rich, silica
rich waters
The Blue Lagoon is a man-made outdoor spa
heated by mineral waters released from a geothermal
plant. The blue color is a result of dissolved silica
from rocks and algae.
It is one of Iceland’s most famous tourist attractions.
World Class Snorkeling and Diving in the
faults and rift valley
World class scuba site:
Copy and paste link below for video of diver in crystal clear
waters among the rocks of the plate boundary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvdxYbK53W8&feature=related
Disadvantages of Living on the Edge
of a volcanic rift zone
• #1 Volcanic eruptions may be catastrohpic or darned
inconvenient
•
#2 Eruptions can come without warning
• #3 Disruption of travel plans: historic eruptions in Iceland
have continued for two YEARS!
• #4 The water in the shower has a strong odor of sulfur
• #5 High levels of volcanic gases and particulate can enter
the atmosphere, soils , water and food supply.
Fluoride compounds lethal to livestock
Air quality can be poor for extended time.
Living on the Edge:
Iceland’s Glaciers
and Europe’s largest ice cap
•
Glaciers are in the southeast –
More precipitation
More elevation due to volcanic areas
Glacers are dependent on winter
snowfall that exceeds summer melt
•
Ice covers many volcanic peaks
(glaciers in white)
Ice depth can be over 800 meters or
up to 3,000 feet
Note geologic ages of lava flows:
pink youngest
green older
purple oldest
This pattern matches what one
Would expect along a spreading ridge
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Top five advantages to living on the
edge with Iceland’s glaciers
• #1
Abundant source of fresh, clean water
• Glaciers store water and release during summer dry spells
• Iceland’s pure high pH own brand of bottled water
pH 8.8 is more basic (not acidic) ** this is corrected
• #2 Resource for hydroelectric power
• #3 Streams form habitats for fish and wildlife
• #4 Open geology laboratory for accessible ice caps and outlet
glaciers
• #5 Recreation opportunities abound
Egilsstaoir Hydro Power Plant Iceland
Clean, green, fossil-fuel-free
Glaciers provide sources of recreation
Spring Melt of Glaciers
provides wilderness recreation
Top five disadvantages to living on the
edge near Iceland’s glaciers
• #1 They move. They break off. They melt.
•
#2 They tend to cover active volcanoes and can cause
destructive flash floods or jokulhlaups (Icelandic for
short-lived flooding)
• #3 Because they provide abundant fresh water, industry
can move in
•
#4 Cheap green hydroelectric power attracts industry
that is not so green.
• #5 A disadvantage if you don’t like the cold.
Catastrophic glacial melt
•
filing
1996 eruption caused
sub glacial melting.
--1000 tons of ice melted
filling Lake Grimsvotn
from beneath. The lake
filled 3 times and
overflowed.
Water rushed to the
shore for 3 days
At the outlet glacier
(coast), water and 50 ft.
ice blocks destroyed
roads and swept away
bridges
1996 Flood when glacier melted destroying highway and bridge
Melting glaciers brings Iceland to the
cutting edge of
• Climate Change
• Iceland lies at latitude 63 – 67 degrees N
Two dominating climate factors
• Gulf Stream warming factor
• NAO – North Atlantic Oscillation
The melting of glacial ice is a true
threat to Iceland
• Initially, melting ice will destroy farmlands and wildlife
habitats but encourage others (forests).
• Climate may seem temporary more favorable as when the
Nordic people visited Iceland in the Medievil warm period.
• Much of iceland’s infrastructure for geothermal heat
transport is above ground. Floods and warmed muddy earth
could undermine these structures.
• Melting increases river discharge and flooding of coastal
transitional areas
– change in salinity and water temperature of limited and fragile
coastal areas
Other dramatic changes
• Introduction of large quantities of cold, fresh water in an area of
critical importance in the ocean conveyor.
• Loss of reflectivity could lead to positive feedback and regional
warming, accelerating melting of glacial ice
• This, along with effects of Greenland melts, could displace the warm
gulf stream and disrupt downwelling of cold, dense salty water.
This would disrupt the transport of warm water towards the higher
latitudes; and cold waters toward the lower latitudes of the Atlantic.
•
This exchange mixes ocean waters and controls moderation of
temperatures over the hemisphere. This is a critical climate control
which, if disrupted, could result in extreme temperatures and
significant changes especially in the higher latitudes.
Increased volcanic activity and positive
feedback of glacial ice loss would disrupt the
lives and economies in European countries.
BUT
Models show that Iceland is not likely to
remain warm.
– Once the Gulf Stream is displaced or interrupted,
Iceland could experience cooling and severe
Polar winter.
Affecting quality of living, ranching, farming,
tourism
Meanwhile……
• Iceland is a world leader in clean
energy
• oil free in several decades
• greenhouse gas emissions lower
than regulations allowed
Iceland can increase its emissions
But
• Iceland cannot export its cheap electricity….
The solution?
Exporting energy means …
importing industry: aluminum smelters
• Alcoa has negotiated to build smelters requiring large
volumes of fresh water and hydroelectric power. Iceland
will build extensive dams and new geothermal wells.
Smelters are known to increase greenhouse gas
emissions and the release of toxic metal discharge.
Alcoa
promotes
Its new
Iceland
Smelters as
“eco-friendly
green industry”
but
at Iceland’s
environmental
expense
“Saving Iceland” on Facebook
environmental groups fight back
• HELP! NATURE UNDER ATTACK!
STOP THEM KILLING ICELAND!
“Stop the Icelandic government and arms
manufacturers Alcoa.”
• “ A whole world is being drowned right now in
the eastern Icelandic highlands. But the
Kárahnjúkar dam project is only...”
Iceland is at the crossroads of the North American
and European Plates, the North Atlantic, and the
global community
Will the unique Island continue to sustain its natural resources and quality of life?
Will Iceland remain a global leader in clean, green energy practices?
Or will Iceland be transformed into a developed industrial nation for the sake of
Temporary monetary gain?
It may not be long before the fate is sealed for this Island on the edge.