Hekla Volcano Erupting Just A Rumor On Twitter, For The Meantime
An explosion of rumors of Hekla Volcano erupting in Iceland spread like wildfire after an errant Twitter feed sounded the alarm that the ninth most dangerous volcano in Europe had awakened. The Twitter feed from MSNBC was a false alarm. However, the next time Hekla Volcano news erupts it could make the economic fallout of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in Iceland 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. Hekla Volcano erupting could endanger the lives of 10,000 people living nearby and cool temperatures in the northern hemisphere for a couple of years.
Hekla Volcano History
In about 950 B.C., Hekla Volcano history shows its largest known eruption ever. Scientists estimate this eruption spewed more than four cubic miles of volcanic rock into the atmosphere. That explosion was six times greater, or more, than the eruption of Mt. St. Helens that occurred in Oregon in 1980. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 threw six cubic miles of material into the air, which formed a global sulfuric acid haze, lowered temperatures around the world and temporarily increased depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer.
Hekla Volcano News
Hekla Volcano news was all over the news as it is classified as one of Europe’s most dangerous volcanoes in the new study by the Willis Research Network (WRN). The study ranks European volcanoes with the potential to disrupt populations of greater than 10,000. Hekla Volcano ranked ninth in the study. Italy’s Mount Vesuvius was ranked 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 versus Mount Vesuvius
Largely because it is so remote, Hekla Volcano’s potential for destruction doesn’t come close to that of Vesuvius. But it erupts much more often. The WRN study shows that the Vesuvius’ imminent wrath is exposed to 1.7 million people. Hekla Volcano threatens 10,000. In property damages, Hekla Volcano erupting is estimated at $ 400 million. 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
Meanwhile, the ash cloud over Europe from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, a pipsqueak compared to the volcanoes on the WRN list, continues to wreak havoc with air travel worldwide. It’s the worst peacetime air travel disruption ever, as cited by the New York Times. It has caused loss for airlines of around hundreds of millions of dollars in money now due to nearly a weeklong shut down and airports stranding thousands. It’s definitely a good thing Hekla Volcano erupting was nothing but a Twitter rumor.