Brain Top Off!

When an errant Twitter feed sounded the alarm that the ninth most dangerous volcano in Europe, Hekla Volcano, had awakened, rumors spread like wildfire. The MSNBC Twitter feed was a false alarm. Nonetheless, if the Hekla Volcano decides to start baking, it could make the economic fallout of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in Iceland, which occurred last week, seem like a small personal loan.

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano’s ash cloud over Europe has disrupted air travel worldwide and is costing airlines hundreds of millions in cash today. If the Hekla Volcano erupting rumors were true, the lives of 10,000 people living nearby and cool temperatures in the northern hemisphere would be in danger for a couple of years.

The History of Hekla Volcano

Showing in Hekla Volcano history, its largest known eruption took place in about 9950 B.C. According to scientist estimations, the eruption spewed more than four cubic miles of volcanic rock into the atmosphere. Compared to the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 in Oregon, that explosion was six times greater or more. The 1991 volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines threw six cubic miles of materials in the air, which formed a global sulfuric acid haze, reduced temperatures worldwide and temporarily increased depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer.

Hekla Volcano News

Hekla Volcano news surfaced today as it was classified as one of Europe’s most dangerous volcanoes in a new study by the Willis Research Network (WRN). European volcanoes have been ranked by the study to have the potential to disrupt populations of greater than 10,000. Hekla Volcano ranked ninth in the study. Italy’s Mount Vesuvius was number one. If Mount Vesuvius were to explode to its full potential, 8,000 people could be killed and 13,000 seriously injured. More than $ 24 billion in economic losses would be the result.

Hekla Volcano vs. Mount Vesuvius

Largely because it is so remote, Hekla Volcano’s potential for destruction doesn’t come close to that of Vesuvius. But the problem is it erupts much more often. The WRN study found that 1.7 million people are exposed to Vesuvius’ imminent wrath. Hekla Volcano threatens 10,000. Hekla Volcano erupting is estimated at $ 400 million in property damages. Since 1104, 20 and 30 considerable eruptions of Hekla Volcano have been known, with the mountain sometimes, without stopping, remaining active for periods of six years.

Europe ash cloud spreading

Although a pipsqueak compared to the volcanoes on the WRN list, the ash cloud over Europe from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano continues to wreak havoc with air travel worldwide. The New York Times cited it as worst peacetime air travel disruption ever. Due to nearly a weeklong shutdown of airports stranding thousands, it has cost airlines hundreds of millions of dollars in money now. It’s definitely a good thing Hekla Volcano erupting was nothing but a Twitter rumor.

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