Volcanic eruption in Iceland and climate change
- 19 Dec 2023
A volcano, which was expected to erupt in Iceland, began to spew lava and smoke on Monday night (local time) from a 4km fissure. A nearby town, Grindavik, with a population of 4,000, has been evacuated. This is in the southwestern part of the Reykjanes peninsula. It is known as a seismic hotspot, which straddles across the American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Iceland is an active volcanic zone with 33 volcanoes, the most in Europe. Iceland authorities have assured that there has been no disruption of international flights as had happened in 2010 when the Eyjafjallajokull volcano exploded. There was a volcanic event in March 2021 when the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system spewed lava.
Volcanic activity remains quite a mystery because it is related to the intense simmering in the subterranean parts. Like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions can happen as a result of intense pressure building up in the interiors of the earth. There has been recent speculation about the role of volcanoes in climate change.
While there are some who argue that there is probable increase in volcano eruptions because of climate change, there are others who argue that volcanoes influence climate change. It is felt that intense volcanic activity in the geological past has caused mass extinction of species. A recent conclusion of scientists is that volcanic eruptions that throw up sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere give rise to aerosols which absorb the sun’s radiation and there is a considerable cooling of the area near and around a volcanic eruption. This was detected in the explosion of the Pinatubo of June 15, 1991 where the temperatures fell by 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Iceland volcano eruptions remain interesting. It is the case that the lava that fills the upper sediment of the surface near and around the volcano turns into a fertile region. It is for this reason that residents in south-east Asia are tempted to move back to a volcanic region soon after an eruption.
Scientific studies would have to show what the effects of volcano eruptions in Iceland are. This would help in understanding the issue of climate change because it is recognised that carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases, is emitted in a volcano eruption. Scientists say that compared to the carbon emissions caused by human activity, the proportion of carbon dioxide in volcanic eruptions is quite small.
But the argument that climate change could trigger volcanic activity is gaining ground. It is now inferred that the melting of icecaps in places like Iceland could be the reason for volcanic eruptions in the region. The further inference is that a climate-change related extreme weather event could be accompanied by a volcanic eruption, which could be impacting human habitations. It is reckoned that there are 500 active volcanoes in the world, and 50 of them erupt in a year. There are about 800 million people in the 100-mile radius of active volcanoes.
The Iceland volcanic explosions cannot be passed over as a mysterious natural event, where local governments take precautionary measures to protect the life and property of the people. This is what the Iceland government is doing right now, evacuating people from towns near the exploding volcano. But a scientific study of volcanoes and what happens with the lava and smoke thrown up by them is of great importance.
It is now argued that the icecap in countries like Iceland serves as a cork to keep the simmering activity of a volcano like in a champagne bottle, and once the ice-sheet disappears, then it is like a cork being opened and champagne flows out with force. It would of course need more data to establish the correlation between volcanism and climate change, but the questions relating to volcanoes should remain on the table.
