Risk perception, trust and culture: the 2014-15 Holuhraun eruption, Iceland

Abstract

This paper presents data and analysis from a survey of residents and tourists in Iceland undertaken following the eruption of Barðarbunga volcano in 2014-15. This eruption produced significant localised gas hazard, leading to a widespread closure of national parks and tourist attractions in Iceland. It also lasted for several months, throughout the winter time, and at times gas was detected in settlements across the country. The survey was carried out online in 2016-17, asking Icelanders and international tourists about their experiences during this eruption and also about volcanoes and volcanic eruptions in Iceland more generally. We find that both residents and tourists used a wide range of sources of information about the eruption, both official and unofficial, but that they differ in their trust and reliance on particular groups. We further demonstrate the complex interplay between the eruption-as-spectacle and eruption-as-risk, relating this to the significance of eruptions in Icelandic culture and history, and discuss the implications for eruption management.