The ongoing eruptions in Iceland

How to use maps and images to show an ongoing natural disaster to people.

Feb 08, 2024

Yulong Jiao

    The editor used a total of four maps or photos in this article. Each one tells a complete story. Moreover, the entire article is structured around maps and photos.

    First of all, the function of the first map is to introduce some basic information about the country of Iceland, such as population, land shape, location of the national capital, and glacier coverage area. Moreover, the author also added some text and labels to this map, which provide a good introduction to the background and location of this volcanic eruption.

    Next, the second image is an aerial image from an Icelandic government agency. This photo, with the help of text, shows the specific impact of this eruption very well, and also introduces the topography of the eruption site. The black color and stone-like texture are magma that has erupted and is cooling. The magma spreads along the ridges and valleys due to gravity.

    The third map is a map with many information elements. The map shows the lava flows that Grindavík has experienced since 2021. The most notable of these are lava flows in 2023 and 2024. The lava flow in 2023 forced the local government to start building defensive walls to prevent the magma from destroying the city's construction.

    The fourth photo is also an aerial image. This image shows a lava flow on January 14, 2024, breaching part of the defensive wall and causing damage or even destroying three houses. The white regular patterns at the bottom of the image are local houses. It can be clearly seen that a small amount of red fluid magma has covered and engulfed some houses. This image nicely illustrates the impact of volcanic eruptions on local residents.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/08/maps-volcano-eruption-iceland-grindavik/