Obviously evacuating the human population takes priority in the final days before Bárðarbunga explodes. However, the wildlife located in the general vicinity of the rumbling volcano is also at risk.
In 2010, the ash from Eyjafjallajökull volcano settled thickly on the ground, posing a threat to livestock and wildlife. This issue, along with the threat of glacial flooding, could be a significant problem for farmers and wildlife enthusiasts in the lead-up to Bárðarbunga's pending eruption. Farmers are being warned that the ash could cause problems during the summer season for the grazing animals that depend on grass and hay for their livelihood.
Depending on the different types of magma involved in the eruption, some volcanoes send out fluorine aerosols, which become attached to ash particles. If animals feed on grasses covered with fluorine-filled ash, they can contract fluorosis, a fatal bone disease.
But it is not just the farm animals at risk. The local bird population will also suffer from the volcanic ash. Most birds fly at altitudes of 7,000 meters or less, which is the exact area that the volcanic ash will hover. Since birds are more sensitive than humans to airborne toxins and lung dysfunction, many birds will be significantly impacted by the volcanic fallout.
Referencing the last major Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, there is scientific evidence that wild migratory birds are suffering and possibly dying due to the effects of the volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption.
Therefore, it is up to the Icelandic farmers and wildlife conservationists to help protect the animals from the catastrophic fallout that could occur after the Bárðarbunga eruption.
Obviously evacuating the human population takes priority in the final days before Bárðarbunga explodes. However, the wildlife located in the general vicinity of the rumbling volcano is also at risk.
In 2010, the ash from Eyjafjallajökull volcano settled thickly on the ground, posing a threat to livestock and wildlife. This issue, along with the threat of glacial flooding, could be a significant problem for farmers and wildlife enthusiasts in the lead-up to Bárðarbunga's pending eruption. Farmers are being warned that the ash could cause problems during the summer season for the grazing animals that depend on grass and hay for their livelihood.
Depending on the different types of magma involved in the eruption, some volcanoes send out fluorine aerosols, which become attached to ash particles. If animals feed on grasses covered with fluorine-filled ash, they can contract fluorosis, a fatal bone disease.
But it is not just the farm animals at risk. The local bird population will also suffer from the volcanic ash. Most birds fly at altitudes of 7,000 meters or less, which is the exact area that the volcanic ash will hover. Since birds are more sensitive than humans to airborne toxins and lung dysfunction, many birds will be significantly impacted by the volcanic fallout.
Referencing the last major Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, there is scientific evidence that wild migratory birds are suffering and possibly dying due to the effects of the volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption.
Therefore, it is up to the Icelandic farmers and wildlife conservationists to help protect the animals from the catastrophic fallout that could occur after the Bárðarbunga eruption.
