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Andrew Dugmore and Orri Vésteinsson
3.6. The floodplain of Markarfljót valley in September 2010, pictured immediately
to the north of Eyjafjallajökull, looking east. Floods from the 2010 eruption have
reshaped the floodplain along the track. Visibility is poor because of dust raised from
the tephra blanketing the ground. Photo by Barney Bedford.
The impacts of volcanic hazards themselves have been exacerbated by
other factors, such as bad weather, earthquakes, and economic constraints.
Limitations to the effects of volcanic hazards have been created by both environmental
and cultural factors. With the notable exception of Vestamanneyjar,
where the largely submerged volcanic system forms a fine natural harbor, there
has been little to draw people to settle in the present volcanic zones, let alone
on active volcanoes. Social systems developed to cope with the vagaries of life
in Iceland have proved well suited to coping with volcanic hazards: mobility
within the island has been possible, and volcanically induced livestock fatalities
could be offset by increased emphasis on fishing and hunting.
At a global scale, it has been argued that volcanic eruptions can represent
opportunities as well as threats and that, despite their undoubted destruction,
they may also spur development and innovation (Grattan 2006). In Iceland,
however, the impacts may well have promoted conservatism and stifled innovation
(Karlsson 2000). Having said that, communities in Iceland have successfully
coped with volcanic hazards through approaches to living that is more
regularly tested by bad weather and outbreaks of disease. Enduring settlement
in Iceland is a testament to both Icelandic social organization and the durability
of the Norse farm as a settlement strategy.
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